April 2009 Archives

Northview, getting a solid outing from Ruben Ramirez, above, took a major step
towards a fourth Valle Vista League title with a 4-3 victory over San Dimas on Thursday.

Northview just continues to deliver, and now they are getting the production for the most unlikely of candidates.
Catcher and No. 9 hitter Arman Valenzuela hit Erik Salcido's first pitch for home run with one out in the ninth inning and the Vikings took a major step towards their fourth consecutive Valle Vista League title with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Saints in a battle of two of the top three teams the area on Thursday.
Northview, getting a solid 3 1/3 innings of relief from Eddie Pedroza, improved to 15-4 overall and took over first place with a 9-1 league record. San Dimas, which got a two-run home run from Matt Thrall to tie it at 3 in the sixth, slipped to 15-5, 9-2.
Northview closes the regular season with home-and-home series against Ganesha and Covina and a home game against Pomona.
Northview coach Darren Murphy: "You don't really expect your (No. 9) hitter to hit the walk-off homerun to win it, but we like storybook endings. I'm not much an author. I'll take it whatever way it happens.
"Sometimes, it's better to be the team (that does the catching), because when you do, you have all that momentum going. But I feel like we let a three-run lead go. I think for the most part, they had the momentum for about three or four innings. We were on our heels. We had to make some big plays, Eddie made some big pitches. But we escaped and got out of here, got out of here with a win. That's a heckuva team. They are going to make a run in the playoffs, too."
San Dimas coach Mike Regan (on his coach's interference in the eighth): "I don't have anything to say. I made a mistake. The kids played great and I screwed up."
Northview's Arman Valenzuela: I knew he was going to throw that fastball. I didn't think he was going to leave it up, because he got me with it the last (at-bat). But he came back with that same pitch, I put a good swing on it and let it go. I was trying to get a gap hit, but I got it up and got a (homerun)."

Today's games
Montview League
Sierra Vista 10, Bassett 0
Azusa at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Workman at Gladstone, 3:15 p.m.
Valle Vista League
San Dimas at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Pomona at Baldwin Park, 3:15 p.m.
Covina at Ganesha, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Damien at Ayala, 3:15 p.m.
Chino 5, Diamond Bar 3
Chino Hills at Glendora, 3:15 p.m.

CIF-Southern Section Polls
Division II - 1. El Toro, 2. Yucaipa, 3. Upland, 4. Notre Dame, 5. Palos Verdes, 6. Chino, 7. Foothill, 8. Damien, 9. Arcadia, 10. San Luis Obispo
Division III - 1. Beckman, 2. Gahr, 3. Bonita, 4. Hemet, 5. South Hills, 6. Alhambra, 7. Downey, 8. Charter Oak, 9. San Gorgonio, 10. Laguna Hills.
Division IV - 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Northview, 3. San Dimas, 4. La Quinta, 5. Palm Desert, 6. Torrance, 7. Fullerton, 8. El Segundo, 9. Anaheim, 10. Colony.
Division V - 1. San Jacinto, 2. Santa Ynez, 3. Maranatha, 4. Calvary Chapel, 5. Campbell Hall, 6. Gladstone, 7. Woodcrest Christian, 8. Citrus Hills, 9. Cabrillo, 10. Linfield Christian.

Los Altos reigning player of the year Diana-lynn Patterson struck out eight and scattered four hits to lead the Conquerors to a 3-1 victory (just as predicted) over Bonita this afternoon to take over control of the Miramonte League title race. Bonita scored first when Jacki Campa's double skipped past the left-fielder, allowing her to round third and go all the way home for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Los Altos freshman Justine Zavala doubled home the go-ahead run in the second, and the Conq's added a run in the seventh to secure the victory.

Miramonte League Softball title
CIF-Southern Section Division III
No. 10 Los Altos at No. 3 Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
Prediction: Nothing would surprise me about today's outcome. At this point, I don't think the players need any extra motivational speeches, they should be fired up and emotions will be high, even for the spectators who hopefully remain civil and act with class no matter what happens. Games like this usually come down to experience and preparation, and Los Altos has both. The Conquerors are the defending champs and have played a tougher schedule. In case anybody missed it, they did just beat powerful Mater Dei. Bonita is by far the area's most improved team, but if I'm picking the winner, Los Altos is still the better team. Prediction: Los Altos 3, Bonita 1.

Feature on Diamond Bar sophomore standout Stephany LaRosa

Today's games:
Del Rey League
St. Joseph's at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m.
Miramonte League
Los Altos at Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
Diamond Ranch at Charter Oak, 3:15 p.m.
Montview League
Duarte at Sierra Vista, 3:15 p.m.
La Puente at Azusa, 3:15 p.m.
Bassett at Workman, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Chino Hills at Glendora, 3:15 p.m.
Chino at Diamond Bar, 3:15 p.m.
St. Lucy's at Ayala, 3:15 p.m.

CIF-SS Softball Rankings
Division III - 1. Tesoro, 2. Oaks Christian, 3. Bonita, 4. Patriot, 5. Crescenta Valley, 6. Chino Hills, 7. Cajon, 8. Downey, 9. Ayala, 10. Los Altos. (Where is Glendora, this is beyond ridiculous).
Division IV - 1. Ocean View, 2. El Segundo, 3. St. Joseph's, 4. Segerstrom, 5. Santa Monica, 6. Torrance, 7. Aquinas, 8. Bishop Amat, 9. Morro Bay, 10. Buena.
Division V - 1. Woodcrest Christian, 2. Whittier Christian, 3. Village Christian, 4. Calvary Murrieta, 5. San Jacinto, 6. San Dimas, 7. Riverside Christian, 8. Sierra Vista, 9. La Canada, 10. Walnut.
Division VI - 1. La Salle, 2. Maranatha, 3. Marymount, 4. South El Monte, 5. Ramona Convent, 6. Oxford Academy, 7. Grace Brethren, 8. Campbell Hall, 9. Arroyo, 10. Marlborough.

There was a time when Jake Bailey had solidified his spot in the Charter Oak High School baseball team's starting line-up do his ability behind the plate.
But Wednesday the senior catcher showed he can be quite effective either behind the dish, or beside it.
Bailey hit two home runs and went 3 for 3 with five RBIs and the Chargers took over first place in the Miramonte League with a 6-3 victory over visiting Bonita in a battle of two of the top teams in the area.
Charter Oak, also getting a complete game from freshman Travis Santiago, improved to 14-6 overall and 6-2 in league play. Bonita, which will get a second, and final shot at the Chargers on Friday, slipped to 14-5 and 6-3.

Charter Oak catcher Jake Bailey: "I just had a lucky day. We had a freshman pitcher going today and I was just trying to give him some support. I wouldn't say they were (mistake pitches). They were pretty good pitches. I got some good swings on them. (Bonita's Jason Plowman) is one of their aces, so I wouldn't say they were mistakes. They were pretty good pitches. I just got lucky."
Charter Oak coach Tom Quinley: "We've put (freshman pitcher Travis Santiago) in some tough situations this year. I said (earlier) that he grew up. Well, today, he really grew up. He threw one heckuva game today.
Bonita coach John Knott: "You have to give (Bailey) all the credit. He had two quality at-bats when they needed them. Their entire line-up hit the ball off Plowman really well, and obviously Bailey had two big hits.
"Friday's going to determine our fate, our involvment in this league here. We're just going to have to hit the ball better and ultimately play a better game, and come out with a little better energy and fire."

Since I asked the question in softball, I'm asking in baseball too. Start thinking of player of the year and first-team all area honorees. In all my years doing this, this could be the toughest of all. There are so many deserving players to choose from. You could come up with a solid first team all area's just from the Sierra League alone. Of course the CIF playoffs will have a lot to do with it, but who are your leading candidates to this point. Go ahead and fill in the blanks, and make your arguments.
Player of the year: ?
First team
Pitcher: (2); Catcher: (1); Infielders: (4); Outfielder: (3); Utility: (1)

Highly regarded junior shortstop/pitcher Jacob Shirley, who transferred from West Covina to South Hills high school over the summer, lost his appeal to the CIF-state appeals board and will be ineligible the rest of the baseball season. As its policy, the state had no comment. Shirley will be eligible for high school participation in the fall, but has not decided whether he will play football again. He was a starter on West Covina high's football team as a sophomore, but hasn't played since. CIF-Southern Section commissioner of athletics James Staunton handed down the initial ruling, explaining that Shirley's transfer was "athletically motivated."

"We were three-outs away from relinquishing a league title we have won three years in a row. But the the heart of a champion came out. If you're going to beat us, you have to knock us out. They knocked us down a couple times today but we kept getting back up." -- Northview coach Darren Murphy.

"They went up, we fought back, they went up, we fought back, that's Northview-San Dimas. I love my guys. We will come back on Thursday with the same guys and do it again. We're not going to feel sorry for ourselves, that's for sure." -- San Dimas coach Mike Regan.

Game story: While the San Dimas High School baseball team ponders how it unraveled and loosened its grip on the Valle Vista League title chase, three-time defending league champion Northview found what it has desperately been searching for.
After scoring two runs to tie the score in the seventh inning, the Vikings pushed an unearned run across in the eighth inning to win it, 7-6. ""The swagger and the heart came back to life today," explained Vikings coach Darren Murphy. "It always seems like it takes a do-or-die situation to bring out the best in us."

Baseball top ten rankings
1. Bishop Amat (16-5) - The CIF-SS Division IV's top-ranked Lancers split a pair last week, losing to Long Beach Wilson then beating Lakewood, 12-6. Are they still the area's best team? Yes, but it's getting closer.
2. San Dimas (15-3) - - This is where we disagree with the Division IV polls. We think San Dimas deserves to be ahead of Northview because of their head-to-head win over the Vikes. Of course, that could all change this week in the much antcipated head-to-head series with the Vikings.
3. Northview (13-4) - We will find out what the Vikings are made of this week. Did competing in the National Classic prepare them for the must-win games they face this week and down the line in the playoffs? We're about to find out.
4. Bonita (14-4) - By this time of year I expected the Bearcats to be crushing teams and running away with the Miramonte League title. It hasn't happened, and another loss against a so-so Los Altos team makes you wonder. But hey, on paper you can't argue with this group.
5. Glendora (13-6) - After a split with Diamond Bar and Damien, I still think the Tartans are the best of the three, but it's so close. The Tartans impressive run in reaching the final of their own tournament and winning the Arcadia tournament will pay dividends down the stretch.
6. Damien (15-5) - How impressive has new coach Leyva been? They beat a very good Chino team and split with Glendora, leaving them in a three-way tie for second with Glendora and Diamond Bar. This race will continue to go back and forth until the end.
7. Charter Oak (13-6) - Losing Tiffany, their shorstop/pitcher and captain, is going to hurt. The Chargers were one of those teams that couldn't afford injuries, so I'm guessing this plays a big role in the home-and-home against Bonita this week.
8. South Hills (12-7) - The Huskies closed out the week with a 6-2 loss to Alemany. They still lead the San Antonio, but the question of late is what's happening with pitcher Jacob Shirley? He was declared ineligible when the season started, but his appeal should be heard any day now.
9. Diamond Bar (11-8) - The Brahmas are at No. 9 for now but can jump and jump quick if they go on a run the final two weeks. They can play with anyone and get beat by anyone. Either way, it sure is fun to watch.
10. Nogales (16-7-1) - There are two kinds of Nobles teams, the one when Andrew Melchor pitches, and the average Nobles when he doesn't. The one with Melchor can beat anyone, which is going to make them a dangerous playoff opponent.

Did you know: That San Dimas center fielder Tim Brookes had a game for the history books. In a 20-4 win over Covina, Brookes hit two grand slams and finished with nine RBIs, which was the most RBIs in a single game in more than 20 years. His nine RBIs ties him with Rio Hondo Prep's Jim Key (1977) and Don Lugo's Bob Malins (1978) for second all-time in the CIF-SS record books for RBIs in a single game. Only Calvary Baptist's Eddie Martinez had more, setting the record with 11 in 1977.

Baseball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

<a href="http://www.maxpreps.com">MaxPreps High School Sports</a>

Girls Softball top ten rankings
1. Glendora (14-2) - Out of respect for winning the San Dimas and Charter Oak tournaments, and for beating every area team that's challenged them, the Tartans remain on top despite Los Altos' big result over the weekend. It wasn't just the win over San Dimas, it was how easily they did it.
2. Los Altos (12-5) - Oh my goodness, this is what I'm talking about, quality wins. I almost jumped the Conq's to No. 1 simply because when you defeat powerful Mater Dei, 4-3, that's making a statement. The Monarchs were the No. 4 team in Division I, and they beat their No. 1 pitcher Matthews in the process on Saturday in the Santiago tournament. Forget the 14-5 loss to Bishop Amat afterward, Patterson was sick and didn't pitch. The swagger is back.
3. Bonita (16-3-1) - After easy wins over Diamond Ranch and Wilson, the Bearcats have one more tune-up against Charter Oak before hosting Los Altos on Thursday in the most anticipated softball game of the year. I'll hold my prediction until then.
4. San Dimas (15-4) - It is clear the Saints are not ready for the top three but still a strong number four. I wonder what an 8-0 loss to Glendora will do to their confidence? They had a chance to prove they belonged with the area's heavyweights, but played like it was their first game of the season.
5. Bishop Amat (12-11) - They defeat Los Altos without Diana-Lynn Patterson, which isn't the same as beating Los Altos but still a nice result. The big win came in a 2-1 win over St. Paul.
6. South El Monte (12-6) - Reina Gaber is tough as nails, in the circle, at the plate, she can do it all. But South El Monte still loses games that make you go hommm, like that one to Ontario Christian
7. Sierra Vista (13-3) - How impressive is it that the Dons have compiled this record without standout pitcher Brittney Flores in the circle most of the season. This is a dangerous Div. V team is she's healthy.
8. Walnut (12-6) - I know they lead the San Antonio, which is an improving league, but not there yet. What's disturbing is a 2-0 loss to Diamond Bar, which shows outside of league, San Antonio teams still struggle.
9. South Hills (10-7-1) - The Huskies were idle last week, but overall record is encouraging.
10. Northview (9-7) - Not the same dominating Vikes, but a big win over rival Covina basically ties them for second with the Colts behind San Dimas. And since the Vikes won the recent head-to-head with the Colts, they land at No. 10.

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Miguel Melendez posted this quote from Gala Canada, who is the mother of Jordan and Jaime Canada. Jordan and Jaime left Duarte High and are now enrolled at South Hills. With so such speculation surrounding her son's transfers, Gala Canada contacted the newspaper to give her reasons for the move. Melendez left messages for Duarte officials seeking reaction, and if they choose to do so, we will give you their response.

"I need to make the statement clear, that's partially the reason," said Gala Canada in reference to the firing of coach Wardell Crutchfield, who has since been replaced by Tip Sanders. "That's the only reason (Jordan and Jaime) were at Duarte was because of Wardell, but they're leaving for a number of things. The athletic programs need help and someone needs to look at that. I have spoken to (Duarte) principal (Eric Barba) and athletic director (Robyn Garcia). The program needs a lot of help. I volunteered all last year to bring as much assistance I could, but I'm one person. They didn't leave just because of the firing. We love coach Crutchfield but this (lack of support) started last year with the principal. This has been going on for a long time and I've had enough. (South Hills) had a little bit of everything. I looked at a lot of schools. This wasn't just a decision we were going to make out of the blue. There was research that went into it and I evaluated a lot of schools."

While discussing all-area and player of the year on another thread, you realize how important a dominating pitcher is to the success of your team. But let me ask you this: If you took away the pitcher from the equation, who has the best softball team in the area? Who is the most complete from a defensive and offensive standpoint. In other words, using reigning player of the year Diana-Lynn Patterson as an example, if you put Patterson on (blank) team, they would become the best in the area.

Above: Former Area Player of the Year Brigham Harwell
signed with the Washington Redskins.

There was good news and bad news over the weekend, at least for this reporter, who is a fan of our former area stars. The good was that after failing to be picked in the seven rounds of the NFL Draft, 2003 Area Player of the Year Brigham Harwell of Los Altos signed a free-agent contract. The bad news, at least for this reporter, who is fan of the Dallas Cowboys, was that he inked with the hated Washington Redskins, and will turn his blue and gold in for cardinal and gold. Here's the rest of my post on the Prep Stars: Where are you now? blog.
Also I have news on Damien's Freddie Brown and Ian Johnson, Charter Oak's Aaron Perez and Bret Lockett. All will get their shot in the NFL.

The L.A. Times' top 25 baseball rankings is always interesting to look at when it comes to ranking SGV teams in their poll. The Times has Bishop Amat No. 9, followed by Bonita at No. 14, Northview at No. 17, and for what it's worth, Arcadia at No. 24. San Dimas are you reading this, you're nowhere to be found.

As we celebrate the fourth-anniversary of the blog originator, Aram Tolegian, we're looking back at some of his best topics throughout his one-year plus reign on the blog (2006-07), which brought out the best and worst of bloggers. On July 2, 2006, Aram wrote the five things Bishop Amat needed to do to turnaround its football program. It's interesting how everything has unfolded since, and fun to look back now. At the time, Mark Verti was replacing Mike DiFiori after the Lancers went 6-4, but were 2-3 in the Serra league and missed the playoffs. Here is Aram's No. 1, click the thread for 4-5.

Aram, July 2, 2006 -- 1 . Hire a name coach - This one is completely off the books now, but it's worth repeating. I am not saying Mark Verti isn't going to do a good job. Nobody has a clue about him yet. But the school had a wide open door of opportunity after Mike DiFiori resigned, and they hired from within. Great.
Verti could either be the find of a lifetime or a 20-something-year-old gamble that sends Amat fans off the deep end. Not exactly the predicament most fans wanted to be in, but hey. Here's the thing Verti has going for him. His youth can be played two ways. He's either too young to handle such a position or he's the young guy who relates to the players. No matter how you feel about himt, Verti is a former UCLA football player and he's got that on any other local coach. He knows what it takes to go from Amat to the big-time. He can wield his connections to the next level as something that gets kids to Amat because the coach can help them to the next level.

Note: South Hills, Charter Oak, Glendora and Rowland have filed appeals to the recent Mt. SAC area realignment. Here is a note today from CIFSS-Commissioner Jim Staunton on what happens next.

The nine areas in Southern Section are finalizing their area configurations for the 2010-2014 releaguing cycle. The Section office recognizes that there may be schools dissatisfied with their placement. In accordance with Bluebook Article 3, Rule 32.5, number 2, the appeal process shall begin with a hearing before the Releaguing Committee. Any school seeking an appeal "is directed to forward a copy of the appeal to the CIF Southern Section office, a copy to the Area Releaguing Chairperson(s) and a copy to the principals of all schools assigned to the respective area(s). The appeal committee will meet May 6, 2009, beginning at 10:00 a.m. to hear appeals in the Southern Section office. Continue reading, click thread

First-team all-area and especially player of the year is a tight race. Hey, it's always a tight race. Last year Los Altos' Diana-Lynn Patterson won player of the year with Northview's Hannah Fraijo a close second. Will Patterson go back-to-back, or will it be someone else? Who will fill out the rest of our first team? Go ahead and fill in the blanks, and make your arguments.
Player of the year: ?
First team
Pitcher: (2); Catcher: (1); Infielders: (4); Outfielder: (3); Utility: (1)

This daily countdown is on, tomorrow we begin with the biggest baseball game of the season to date.
Tuesday: Baseball, Northview at San Dimas
Wednesday: Baseball, Bonita at Charter Oak
Thursday: Softball, Los Altos at Bonita; Baseball: San Dimas at Northview
Friday: Baseball, Charter Oak at Bonita

Division IV
No. 2 Northivew at No. 3 San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas, 15-3, 9-0: Notable wins: Northview (9-6), Nogales (9-2), St. Francis (8-6). Notable losses: Chino HIlls (15-2), Bonita (6-2), Glendora (8-7).
Northview 13-4, 7-1: Notable wins: Bonita (4-3), Mamoreneck, NY (7-3), Jesuit (7-5). Notable losses: San Dimas (9-6), Claremont (10-7), Archbishop Mitty (8-7).
Runs scored/Against: Northview 147/66; San Dimas 188-62
The skinny: If San Dimas wins, they all but wrap up the Valle Vista League title, regardless of what happens when they meet again on Thursday at Northview. The Vikings have to sweep this week to have a realistic chance of defending their title.
Prediction: When you start looking at this close, you realize that other than beating Northview, the Saints haven't had another huge win. They beat Nogales without Melchor pitching, which isn't like beating Nogales. They beat St. Francis, but so did Nogales and Glendora. The Vikings proved themselves by going 2-2 in the National Classic and beat Bonita early in the year, but they're not the same Vikings that won a championship last year. Their pitching isn't as deep, and they miss the leadership of their big three, Aaron Elias, Robert Williams and Marc Andrade. Regardless of who pitches, I don't see anyone dominating the other, I'm thinking a 4-3, 5-4 game is what we're going to get. If San Dimas loses Tuesday, they will lose again at DustView on Thursday. But it's not going to happen. The Saints are hungrier, a closer group, and at home, will never have a better opportunity than this. The Pick: San Dimas.

Anything and anyone you want to talk about. I'm accepting athlete of the week nominations

The cities of San Dimas and Glendora may share a border and a Costco, but Glendora High School proved there is a long way between the Sierra and Valle Vista leagues.
The Tartans (14-2), the Tribune's top-ranked softball team, won the Charter Oak Classic Tournament with an 8-0 victory over the fourth- ranked Saints (15-4). To continue reading, click thread

Charter Oak Classic All-Tournament Team...
MVP: Brandy Andrews-Glendora
Tournament Batting Champ: Yumi Hiroto-San Dimas
Natalie Hernandez-Glendora
Kendra Alfonso-Glendora
Ariel Shore-San Dimas
Kortnie Clark-San Dimas
Catherine Flores-El Rancho
Marilyn Toriz-El Rancho
Chelsea Whisenant-Covina
Molly Ross-Covina
Erin Jones-Wesley-Los Osos
Reina Gaber-South El Monte
Lexi Thomas-Ontario Christian
Aimee Spathias-Charter Oak

The biggest week of the season is looming, a home-and-home series in baseball between Northview-San Dimas (Tues-Thursday) and Charter Oak-Bonita (Wed-Fri) that will ultimately decide the league titles. The drama-filled rubber-match between Los Altos and Bonita softball takes place on Thursday at Bonita. All these games get covered, my only big decision is who gets the cover on Thursday, Northview-San Dimas baseball or Bonita-Los Altos softball. If San Dimas knocks out Northview on Tuesday, then it's a moot point. But if the Vikes win, Houston, we've got a problem. Your thoughts?

Above: Los Altos' Courtney Gano gearing up for Thursday's showdown at Bonita.

Principals are no different than politicians, they vote along party lines. That is why this process was more difficult than it should be. If the principals left the realignment in the hands of your favorite sportswriter, you would get rid of all the politics and it would like this, which makes sense from a competitive, geographical, financial, and common-sense standpoint. It's very simple really, move Chino Hills to the Baseline. Glendora and Diamond Ranch go to the Sierra. This makes the Miramonte and Sierra a six-team league. Send Claremont to the Mt. Baldy, which like the Montview, would be a competitive eight-team league. You tell me, how does this not make the most sense?

Baseline League - Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Chino Hills, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland
Sierra League - Ayala, Charter Oak, Glendora, Diamond Ranch, Damien/St. Lucy's, South Hills
Miramonte/San Antonio League - Bonita, Diamond Bar, Los Altos, Rowland, Walnut, West Covina
Mt. Baldy League - Chaffey, Chino, Colony, Don Lugo, Garey, Montclair, Ontario, Claremont
Valle Vista League - Baldwin Park, Covina, Nogales, Northview, Pomona, San Dimas, Wilson
Montview League - Azusa, Bassett, Duarte, Ganesha, Gladstone, La Puente, Sierra Vista, Workman

Friday's Results
Miramonte League
Charter Oak 7, Wilson 2
Bonita 7, Diamond Ranch 2
San Antonio League
Walnut at Nogales, 3:15 p.m.
Rowland at West Covina, 3:15 p.m.

Friday's Wilson-Charter Oak update: The Wilson High School baseball team has been a pest against area heavyweights. Wilson, winners of just eight games last year, were expected to rebuild under first-year coach Gary Libby, but after knocking off Glendora tournament champion Bonita 4-3 on April 3, the Wildcats defeated Northview tournament champion Charter Oak 3-2 in eight innings on Wednesday, and were hoping to deal the Chargers another setback on Friday. The Wildcats kept themselves in position to pounce for most of the game, but the Chargers scored four runs in the sixth inning to break it open, winning 7-2 heading into a crucial home-and-home series next week with Bonita. Charter Oak improved to 13-6 and 5-2 with Bonita a half game ahead in the Miramonte League at 14-4 and 6-2. Bonita defeated Diamond Ranch on Wednesday, 7-2. The Wildcats are not far back, dropping to 11-6 and 3-3.

Thursday's Wrap
Sierra League: Once again, it looks like the Sierra League race could come down to the final week after Damien's 6-3 win over Glendora, making both teams 5-4 in the Sierra along with Diamond Bar (5-4), a 9-3 winner over Ayala. All three teams are two games back of Chino (7-2), a 9-4 winner over Chino Hills. With Chino Hills (3-6) and Ayala (2-7) trailing and Chino pulling away, it is looking like one of our big three, Glendora, Damien or Diamond Bar, will not make the playoffs.
Montview League: Sierra Vista followed its thrilling 11-innings 6-5 victory over Azusa on Tuesday with a sweep over the Aztecs, winning 5-3 to improve to 12-5 and 7-1. La Puente kept pace with a 5-0 win over Workman, improving to 12-6 and 7-1. Gladstone (13-3, 4-2) remained in the race with a 11-4 win over Duarte.
Valle Vista League: San Dimas (15-3, 9-0) remained undefeated in the Valle Vista with a 12-0 win over Covina. Northview finished off its sweep with Baldwin Park, winning 8-4 to improve to 13-4 and 7-1, leaving the 1 1/2 games back of San Dimas heading into next week's home-and-home showdown.

Baseball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Above: Brandi Andrews is all smiles Friday after her three-run homerun helped
Glendora to a 10-2 victory over El Rancho. Next up, San Dimas.

Friday Update: Brandi Andrews, Kendra Alfonso and Katrina Brandt all hit home runs and Carly Argyle was solid in the circle with eight strikeouts as Glendora rolled into Saturday's Charter Oak Tournament championship game with an easy 10-2 victory over El Rancho in the semifinals. Next up is San Dimas, which beat Covina 11-1 in the other semifinal on Monday. Game time is Saturday....Reina Gaber was solid in the circle, tossing a four-hitter with seven strikeouts as South El Monte took sole possession of first place in the Mission Valley League with a 1-0 victory over Arroyo. Demi Nguyen had an RBI single in the fourth.

Other scores
Valle Vista League
Northview 5, Covina 3
Montview League
La Puente 3, Gladstone 2
San Antonio League
West Covina 5, Rowland 0

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Note: For the Area's top track marks, click thread.

The fourth annual San Gabriel Invitational at West Covina High School on Saturday is picking up steam, with 29 schools already scheduled to take part, which could balloon up to 35 schools by the weekend. "Last year's meet was the biggest yet, with 22 schools taking part despite the conflict with the Mt SAC Relays, and it was the deepest meet so far," explained meet organizer, Bob Ramsey. "This year we hope to expand the meet to include many more of the 55 schools in our target area and to take further steps toward becoming a complete and high quality regional championship meet." Saturday's meet begins at 10 a.m., and will feature some of the area's top track standouts, like Diamond Ranch's Karynn Dunn Dunn, a senior, is the state leader in the girls long jump with a personal best 20-foot leap that she turned in at the Covina Invitational, followed by a 19-foot, 10 inch jump to win at Arcadia.Dunn, hoping to repeat her performance of three CIF-SS divisional titles next month, is hoping to advance to the state finals in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump as well as her signature event, the long jump. Dunn has the fourth-best triple jump in California with a 39-7 at Arcadia. In the 100-meter hurdles she currently holds the eighth-best time in the state with a 14.34, which she is expected to improve upon. The boys meet includes shot put specialist Graham Vickers of Diamond Ranch, Bishop Amat speedster Sheldon Price, and the big surprise from Saturday's Mt. SAC Relays, Glendora's Chris Ramsey, who won the 800-meter invitational, and leads the area in two other events, the 400-meters and 1,500-meters.

Joe Amat made a good point that Jim Brownfield, the legendary Muir football and track and field coach, didn't get enough discussion on a recent thread. Brownfield told our reporter Jim McConnell that through the years, in addition to preaching the virtues of Wooden's Pyramid of Success, he developed what he called "The Ten Commandments of Coaching."

Here they are:

1. Safety First, Last and Always. "The worst thing a coach can do isn't to lose," Brownfield said. "It is not being attentive to the things that can prevent injuries. That's why I made this commandment No. 1. You have to take care of your kids. Injuries happen, but you can do a lot to minimize them."

2. Just Do The Right Thing. "You need to know the rules, and obey them. Once you start trying to cut corners, to cheat even a little bit, your players know it immediately. And you lose their respect. Once that's gone, you've lost their attention."

3. Teach Life Skills. "I had winning teams and was lucky enough to have some great athletes. But nothing makes me prouder than to know my players went on to have productive lives. You coach football, or basketball, or track but you also can do so much more. Nothing is more gratifying than to have a positive impact on a kid's life."

4. Know Your Clientele. "You should never expect more out of an athlete than they are capable of giving. This is especially true of young athletes. Coaches have to know their players' strengths, and weaknesses. It's just unfair to the kid not to."

5. Their Bodies Are Their Temples. "This is where proper training and conditioning come in. Other teams may have had better athletes, but I never wanted a team of mine to lose because of lack of proper conditioning. And that includes making sure your athletes understand the dangers of substance abuse."

6. Good Coaching is Good Teaching. "What works in a classroom will work on the football field. A great coach is always first and foremost a great educator."

7. Be A Student of the Game. "You should always be learning. Attend clinics. Talk to other coaches. Watch game film. If you aren't really interested in the sport you're coaching, how in the world can you expect your athletes to be interested?"

8. Plan Ahead. "Sounds simple, but I am always amazed at how many in coaching and teaching are so disorganized. You have to have a plan. You should never be surprised or caught off-guard."

9. Develop Your People Skills. "Hey, you're not coaching donkeys, you're coaching human beings. You need to learn how to communicate. You need to keep your commitments. Treat your players right and they will do right by you."

10. Be a Pro. "You're getting paid, act like it. Strive to better yourself. You want to get paid more? Better yourself first."

Above: Ariel Whiteman struck out 13 and hit the game-winning home run to
lead Bishop Amat over rival St. Paul on Thursday.

Ariel Whiteman did it all in leading Bishop Amat to a 2-1 victory over rival St. Paul in 10 innings on Thursday.
The senior was dominant in the circle, giving up just two hits and striking out 13. She also had the game-winning hit, a two-out bomb to left field to give Amat an important vicory in the Del Rey League. The Lancers are now 11-10 and 1-2 in league play. St. Paul slipped to 9-10, 1-2.
Ariel Whiteman: "I got it all the way to the full count and that pitch was right there. That was my pitch. I've been waiting for it all day long."
Bishop Amat coach Jesse Mendez: "This was a big win for us today. We had to have it. (Both teams) came to play today. St. Paul is a good team, and Ariel did an awesome job today. We're just working hard. We lost a tough one to (Bishop) Montgomery, which was the same type of game. But these girls are ready to make a run."
St. Paul coach Craig Worthington: "This was a great game to be in. Both teams battled and it just came down to execution."

Other scores:
Miramonte League
Los Altos 9, Charter Oak 2
Wilson 7, Diamond Ranch 5
Montview League
Azusa 7, Workman 3
Sierra League
Glendora 8, St. Lucy's 0
BASEBALL
Christian League
Western Christian 17, Loma Linda 4
Montview League
Gladstone 11, Duarte 4
La Puente 12, Workman 0
Sierra League
Damien 6, Glendora 3
Diamond Bar 9, Ayala 3

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
Say goodbye to some of the best league rivalries in recent years, including Damien-Glendora, West Covina-South Hills and Los Altos-Wilson. The 42 high schools that compete in the Mt. SAC area voted on new league alignments for 2010 on Wednesday. Glendora, South Hills and Charter Oak understandably were disappointed with the results. After Tuesday's 4 1/2 hour meeting that took 15 votes before a proposal was finally accepted, four schools met Wednesday's deadline to submit appeals: Charter Oak, Glendora, Rowland and South Hills.
The appeals are scheduled to be heard on May 6.

Sierra Vista did everything they could to interrupt my Lakers plans on Wednesday, using almost four hours to rally from a 5-2 deficit in the seventh inning to tie it 5-5, sending it into extra innings, like I needed more of that blistering sun. But it was worth it, the Dons completed the thrilling comeback with a 6-5 victory in 11 innings when Christian Huerta's game-winning double brought home Michael Lomeli for the game-winner. With La Puente's 15-5 win over Workman, the Montview League is beginning two shape into a two-team race. La Puente (10-5, 6-1) and Sierra Vista (12-5, 6-1) are tied for first and will meet in a home and home on May 5 and 7, which could very well determine the league champion.

Today's games
Miramonte League
Wilson at Charter Oak, 3:15 p.m.
Diamond Ranch at Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
San Antonio League
Nogales at Walnut, 3:15 p.m.
West Covina at Rowland, 3:15 p.m.
Mission Valley League
El Monte at Gabrielino, 3:15 p.m.
South El Monte at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.

This is the new league alignment as passed by Mt. SAC Area Principals on Tuesday.
Baseline League - Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Glendora, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland
Sierra League - Ayala, Charter Oak, Chino Hills, Claremont, Damien/St. Lucy's, South Hills
Miramonte/San Antonio League - Bonita, Diamond Bar, Diamond Ranch, Los Altos, Rowland, Walnut, West Covina
Mt. Baldy League - Chaffey, Chino, Colony, Don Lugo, Garey, Montclair, Ontario
Valle Vista League - Baldwin Park, Covina, Nogales, Northview, Pomona, San Dimas, Wilson
Montview League - Azusa, Bassett, Duarte, Ganesha, Gladstone, La Puente, Sierra Vista, Workman

Big Winners: Diamond Ranch, Wilson, Damien, Nogales
Big Losers: Glendora, South Hills, Charter Oak

Fred's thoughts: Here we are worried about operating costs, travel, and teachers getting pink slips, and this committee goes ahead and approves a proposal that makes little geographical sense. Again, rationale decisions take a back-seat to personal agendas, and who pays, the schools. Glendora moves out of the Sierra League and will have it tough for years to come in the Baseline. Competive-wise, they will be okay, but lots of travel. Kind of sad when your closest league opponent is Upland, with Bonita, Damien, and Charter Oak around the corner. But that would make sense. For what it's worth, I like the Sierra League. I would have flip-flopped Chino Hills and Glendora (geographical/competitive reasons), but I like South Hills, Charter Oak and Damien all in the same league. How Damien got this lucky, I don't know. Why isn't Diamond Ranch among these teams if you're going to leave them in the SGV? Shouldn't they be in the toughest SGV group if they stay? Chino Hills will make the Sierra extremely tough across the board, and so will Ayala. The Miramonte/San Antonio league is the best the SGV has to offer with upper-tier sports schools not named Charter Oak, South Hills and Glendora. My question, why they heck is Diamond Ranch in there. Again, this is the price South Hills and Charter Oak pay for being good. It make complete geographical sense for one of them to be in this league, and no sense whatsoever for Diamond Ranch to be in it. But here's the kicker, Diamond Ranch and Diamond Bar in the same league. It's on now fellas. The Valle Vista adds Wilson and Noglaes, which is huge relief for the Cats and Nobles and will raise their athletic profile now that they will be able to win again. Other than that, what do you think?

I'm writing local reaction for tomorrow, and thought I would share some of it ...
South Hills football coach Steve Bogan welcomes the challenge of competing in the Sierra League, but wonders why principals would vote for a proposal that will further strain the school's operating costs. With West Covina a few blocks down the road and Walnut around the corner, South Hills is now being asked to travel to Claremont, Ayala and Chino Hills. "This (Sierra) looks like a heck of a football league, and it's a great challenge for us to try and compete," Bogan said. "But as a school, when I look at our size and the transportation costs, especially when it comes to the lower-level sports, it doesn't make much sense. This is going to be a huge travel cost. The Covina school district is closing two (elementary) schools and laying-off teachers, where are we going to get the (gas) money for these additional costs, not to mention the extra-time the kids have to spend traveling. There is no free lunch, the money has to come from somewhere."

I don't know if South Hills coach Steve Bogan will have this much vacation time in the new league. South Hills, Charter Oak and Damien? Which school reigns supreme?

Reaction from the Bulletin's Pete Marshall, who was there: Someone was going to be unhappy, and it turns out it is Glendora and South Hills. I firmly believe that Damien/St. Lucy's was a better fit competitive-equity wise for the Baseline League, but the Chaffey district schools blocked that possibility. Glendora wanted relief from the Sierra League, only to be placed in a tougher league. Glendora will likely appeal on competitive equity grounds, as Glendora officials repeatedly said as the school's name kept being mentioned in the Baseline League. South Hills' issue is more with geography, and transportation costs that would rise. But, competitive equity has been determined to be the No. 1 criteria. South Hills should be able to compete in the Sierra League, which it is under the new plan. Just like there are a lot of schools that don't want to be in the same league as Damien/St. Lucy's, there are also a lot to the west that don't want to be in the same league as South Hills. Last time that happened, it was 8 years ago, and South Hills' fellow Covina Valley schools Covina and Northview wanted to be separated from South Hills, after the trio had been together in the Valle Vista League.

Hi All: I just wanted to let you know about my latest entry on Prep Stars: Where are you now? Today I write about former Charter Oak pitching sensation Chuck Tiffany, who re-signed with Dodgers over the weekend. He was assigned to the organization's spring training complex in Arizona, where the team will determine what affiliate he will pitch for this season.

I get this anonymous call from person at Bassett asking if I want to write about its new weight room, then he casually drops a bomb saying that former Baldwin Park coaching legend and and one of the Valley's greatest ever, Tony Zane, has agreed to become an assistant football coach at Bassett with head coach Leon Ward. I immediately called Ward, who confirmed it. "I believe I landed a nugget," Ward said laughing. "Tony and I have been good friends for a long time, I coached with him in some all-star games back in the day and we became really good friends. We stayed in touch and were out with the wives one night when one of the wives suggested that Tony should join me. Tony said he would, which I thought was him just being funny. But a couple days later I approached him about, he was serious and I was serious so here we are. What an incredible person to add to our staff. I'm thrilled."
Zane Bio: He spent 31 years at Baldwin Park, the last 13 as a head coach when he retired in 2002. During his tenure as an assistand and hea coach he won two CIF-SS championships, won 47 playoffs games, and 16 league titles. Welcome back coach.

Baseball top ten rankings
1. Bishop Amat (15-4) - The Lancers are a perfect 6-0 in the Dely Rey and No. 1 in the Division IV polls. They went 4-0 in the Anaheim Lions' tournament before losing 3-2 to a strong team from Reno, Nevada, then beat Garfield 8-0 to wrap-up a darn-good week. Considering the teams ranked directly below also lost, the Lancers stay on top.
2. San Dimas (13-3) - - The Saints swept Ganesha last week and get Covina this week before next week's mammoth home-and-home against Northview. Even though Northview lost twice, we're jumping the Saints to No. 2 based on their better record than the Vikes, and their head-to-head win.
3. Northview (11-4) - The Vikings go 2-2 in the National Classic, beating Jesuit 7-5 in their final game. Not a great showing, but a good showing, and considering they had a lead going into the sixth inning of every game, that is something to be proud of against such a prestigious field.
4. Glendora (12-5) - After beating Arcadia and pitcher Rutherford to win the Arcadia tourney, the Tartans split with Diamond Bar last week, losing 11-3 at home in the second game, which snapped a six-game win streak. It will be like that in the Sierra, where no playoff spot is guaranteed.
5. Charter Oak (12-5) - The Chargers didn't play last week, but moved into first all by themselves because of Bonita's Miramonte league loss to Los Altos. The Chargers have won five straight, and continue to gain confidence.
6. Bonita (12-4) - Don't know what to make of these recent developments. You can forgive the loss to Wilson as just being one of those things. But after losing to Charter Oak in the championship of the Northview tournament, they split with Los Altos of all teams last week, losing 3-2 after winning 7-2 earlier in the week.
7. Damien (14-4) - The Spartans won the Brian Hamilton tournament, finishing things off with a 7-5 win over Chino in the championship game. Now the fun begins, with a home-and-home against Glendora this week.
8. South Hills (12-6) - Didn't they use to own the Don Lugo tournament? Well, they didn't do so bad. After crushing Baldwin Park and losing 3-0 to Chino Hills, they bounced back with a nice 5-3 win over Monrovia to close out the tournament.
9. Diamond Bar (10-7 - You have to respect the fact the Brahmas are 4-3 in the Sierra League, locked in an early four-team race and only a game back of first after splitting with Glendora. We know they can hit, we know their pitching is so-so at times, but they compete and won't roll over against anyone.
10. Nogales (14-7-1) - The Nobles are hanging on the top ten rankings by a thread. Actually, we probably should have dropped them after losing to Diamond Ranch, Chino Hills and tying Monrovia in their last three games. But they do have credible wins on their resume and with Andrew Melchor on the mound, anything is possible.

Baseball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

<a href="http://www.maxpreps.com">MaxPreps High School Sports</a>

Above: San Dimas' Ariel Shore. If there is a better leadoff hitter in the Valley, I haven't seen her.

Girls Softball top ten rankings
1. Glendora (10-2) - The Tartans beat Cantwell Sacred Heart and Temple City to reach the semifinals of the Charter Oak tournament, extending their winning streak to five. They still only have losses to Upland (split) and Etiwanda, and resume tournament action on Friday against El Rancho. In between, a couple of Sierra League games with nemesis, St. Lucy's.
2. Bonita (15-3-1) - An easy 10-0 win over Diamond Ranch followed 0-1-1 showing against South Hills. After they brush aside Wilson and Charter Oak this week, mark you calendars a week from Thursday when Los Altos comes back to Bo-town. Not only will I predict the outcome, but I'll give you the final score.
3. Los Altos (12-5) - After beating South Hills 12-0, the Conq's beat a very good Redlands team 5-4 before losing to Torrance, 4-2 in the Corona Santiago tournament. On Saturday, the Conqs face Mighty Mater Dei in the tournament as well. Los Altos and BAmat have played the toughest schedules ... by far.
4. San Dimas (13-3) - The winning streak is now at ten, and they already have punched a ticket to Saturday's Charter Oak tourney title, facing the winner between Glendora-El Rancho. Please let this be Glendora, I would love to see how the new-and-imporoved Saints fare against our No. 1. Sorry, but the Valle Vista League doesn't tell us much.
5. Bishop Amat (10-9) - Hey, at least they're over .500 again. The Lancers went 2-1 last week with wins over El Modena and Saugus before a loss to a tough Carson squad.
6. Walnut (10-5) - We must pay closer attention in Nutsville. In the Whittier Christian tournament they beat a 9-4 Magnolia team, 10-0. Then they beat at 12-5 Riverside Christian squad, 2-1, before losing 5-0 to 13-1 El Segundo. And remember, they only lost to Bonita, 3-1. After Bonita, they're most improved.
7. South El Monte (10-5) - With the Eagles No. 4 in the Div. VI rankings, don't be surprised if they make a deep playoff run and they're the only team we're writing about near the end of the season. They are 2-1 in the Charter Oak tournament with a loss to Temple City.
8. Sierra Vista (12-2) - The Dons beat a struggling Harvard-Westlake team, then lost to El Rancho in the second round at Charter Oak, the same El Rancho that entered the tournament with a 3-10 record. Now, Sierra Vista's coach explained that stud pitcher Brittney Flores didn't pitch (injury), so again, what do we really know about the Dons?
9. South Hills (10-7-1) - Back to reality in 12-0 loss to Los Altos after split with Bonita. Let's see what the recent results do to this young team's confidence. With Walnut on the rise, and West Covina and Rowland respectable, the San Antonio is fun again.
10. St. Lucy's (8-9) - Forget their overall record, their schedule is tough, so looks at the wins, which include a 4-2 decision over Bishop Amat, 4-3 win over Walnut and a 1-0 win over San Dimas. Yeah, they deserve to be here.

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

"From what I'm seeing it's going to be a year we'll rebuild completely. They tell me some of the kids transferred but I'm looking forward to the challenges," said coach Tip Sanders.
On Jodan Canada transferring to South Hills: "I don't take it personal. I coached (Canada's) dad and he worked with me. They said that was something they wanted to do. They said that it was a change they wanted to do," said Sanders.

By Miguel A. Melendez, Staff Writer
It's been nearly two months since Duarte High School named Lavelle "Tip" Sanders as the school's football coach, replacing Wardell Crutchfield who was abruptly fired because the school wanted to go in a different direction. It hasn't taken long but already Sanders faces the daunting task of regrouping a divided team.

By Jim McConnell, the man we call King:
YOU'D be surprised how much you can learn - when you listen. And when Jim Brownfield calls, you really need to brush up on your auricular skills. Brownfield, 80, currently is experiencing some health problems, but they haven't slowed him down. His mind is as sharp as ever.

Our good friend Pete Marshall at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin posted this on his blog recently. It gives further insight to what might happen when re-leaguing is voted on today at 2 p.m. at Diamond Bar High School. Marshall will be at today's meeting, and will have a story for us in tomorrow's paper. I will update the blog when I learn the results.

Marshall writes: It's down to 2 proposals, but might not be limited to two, for releaguing the Mt. SAC Area in the high schools. There will be plenty of politicking over the next few weeks about which of the two proposals to vote for. If they can't get a 2/3 vote by the 42 principals in the area on one of the two, then other proposals will be considered. Sticking points that my be an issue at the principal's meeting April 21:

1) The Baseline League wants Glendora and not Damien/St. Lucy's, to join their league.
2) One proposal has Charter Oak in the Sierra League. Charter Oak contends that works for baseball and maybe 1 or 2 other sports, but isn't a good match overall.
3) The red proposal has too many five-team leagues to pass, is my guess
4) Damien/St. Lucy's is an unpopular school tandem to have in a league, but others have issues with Diamond Ranch and/or South Hills, for various reasons, too.
5) Do people prefer the 6 or 7 league proposal?

Here are the proposals (note: Mt. Baldy, Valle Vista and Montview are the same in the 2 proposals)

RED (7 LEAGUES) *-changed from existing

Baseline(5): Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland
Sierra (5): Ayala, Chino Hills, Damien/St. Lucy's, D. Ranch*, Glendora
Mt. Baldy (7): Chaffey, Chino*, Colony, Don Lugo, Garey, Montclair, Ontario
Miramonte (5): Bonita, Charter Oak, Claremont*, Los Altos, S. Hills*
San Antonio(5): Diamond Bar*, Nogales, Rowland, Walnut, West Covina
Valle Vista(6): Baldwin Park, Covina, Northview, Pomona, San Dimas, Wilson*
Montview (8): Azusa, Bassett, Duarte, Ganesha*, Gladstone, La Puente, Sierra Vista, Workman

BLUE (6 LEAGUES) *-changed from existing
Baseline(6): Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Damien/St. Lucy's*
Sierra (7): Ayala, Chino Hills, Charter Oak*, Claremont*, Diamond Ranch*, Glendora, S. Hills*
Mt. Baldy (7): Chaffey, Chino*, Colony, Don Lugo, Garey, Montclair, Ontario
San Antonio(7): Bonita*, Diamond Bar*, Los Altos* Nogales, Rowland, Walnut, West Covina
Valle Vista(6): Baldwin Park, Covina, Northview, Pomona, San Dimas, Wilson*
Montview (8): Azusa, Bassett, Duarte, Ganesha*, Gladstone, La Puente, Sierra Vista, Workman

Following the pursuit of high school history, A Florida high school pitcher, Patrick Schuster of Mitchell High, threw his fourth-straight no-hitter and struck out 17 in his 5-0 victory on Monday. Schuster is chasing the National Record of six

Isn't this how it's supposed to end up in Division IV, with Bishop Amat and Northview meeting in the biggest and most anticipated game in San Gabriel Valley history? Am I getting carried away by asking that? Anyway, as long as they stay on top of the polls, they will meet in the title game. Oh wait, San Dimas is No. 3, leads the VVL, and is certainly good enough to spoil it all. I'm not hating Saints, you can beat either team and they know it. Bonita (3), South Hills (4) and Charter Oak (8) are in the mix in Division III and Gladstone joins the party in Division V, checking in at No. 7. Someone will have to explain the Division II rankings, Chino (No. 6) is the only Sierra team listed, but Arcadia (whom Glendora promptly beat in their own tournament) is No. 7. It must be that tough Pacific League, right? Those games against Muir, Pasadena, Burbank and Burroughs are so darn tough (extreme sarcasm). It's unfair that the Sierra is getting punished for being tough from top to bottom.

Shouldn't Glendora be ranked in Division II?

Division II - 1. El Toro, 2. Yucaipa, 3. Upland, 4. Notre Dame, 5. Palos Verdes, 6. Chino, 7. Arcadia, 8. Crespi, 9. San Luis Obispo, 10. Vista del Lago.
Division III - 1. Beckman, 2. Gahr, 3. Bonita, 4. Hemet, 5. South Hills, 6. Alhambra, 7. Downey, 8. Charter Oak, 9. Ocean View, 10. Knight.
Division IV - 1. Bishop Amat, 2. Northview, 3. San Dimas, 4. El Segunodo, 5. La Quinta, 6. Palm Desert, 7. Fullerton, 8. Anaheim, 9. Monrovia, 10.
Torrance.
Division V - 1. San Jacinto, 2. Santa Ynez, 3. Marantha, 4. Campbell Hall, 5. Downey Calvary Chapel, 6. Linfield Christian, 7. Gladstone, 8. Woodcrest Christian, 9. Don Bosco Tech, 10. Aquinas.

After we harp on Bonita's 0-1-1 showing against South Hills, the pollsters promptly jump the Bearcats from No. 4 to No. 3 in the Division III rankings. They do this while somehow dropping Los Altos from No. 7 to No. 10 for I guess, losing a tournament game over the weekend against Torrance. But didn't Los Altos mercy South Hills, 12-0. They continue to make a mockery of the polls while not ranking OUR No. 1 Glendora (10-2) in Div. III, whom I will continue to remind everyone beat Bonita without the Big Waldusky. And, the Tartans are about to win the Charter Oak tourney to go with their San Dimas tourney finals appearance. Can someone explain this please? That's why our rankings are so much more accurate, I keep telling you folks that. I'm not trying to rain on Bonita's parade, but when it doesn't add up, it doesn't add up. San Dimas is No. 6 in Division V with Sierra Vista checking in at No. 8. South El Monte climbs to No. 4 in Div. VI.

Division III - 1. Tesoro, 2. Oaks Christian, 3. Bonita, 4. Patriot, 5. Cajon, 6. Crescenta Valley, 7. Flintridge Sacred Heart, 8. Downey, 9. Ayala, 10. Los Altos.
Division IV - 1. Ocean View, 2. Torrance, 3. St. Joseph's, 4. Segerstrom, 5. Aquinas, 6. Lompoc Cabrillo, 7. El Segundo, 8. Santa Monica, 9. Bishop Amat, 10. Cantwell Sacred Heart/Morro Bay.
Division V - 1. Woodcrest Christian, 2. Whittier Christian, 3. Village Christian, 4. Calvary Murrieta, 5. La Canada, 6. San Dimas, 7. Riverside Christian, 8. Sierra Vista, 9. Chadwick, 10. Keppel.
Division VI - 1. La Salle, 2. Maranatha, 3. Marymount, 4. South El Monte, 5. Ramona Convent, 6. Oxford Academy, 7. Grace Brethren, 8. Campbell Hall, 9. Serra, 10. Viewpoint.

As we celebrate the fourth-anniversary of the blog originator, Aram Tolegian, we're looking back at some of his best topics throughout his one-year plus reign on the blog (2006-07), which brought out the best and worst of bloggers. On May 8, 2006, Aram talked to coaches, and got their feelings on the legitimacy of all-league and all-area teams. Aram, take it from here

Aram, May 8, 2006 -- I can do this because I have the sources. Here's what some of the top coaches in the area think about the legitimacy of all-league and Tribune all-area teams. Because this ended up being such a hot topic on another thread, I decided to get the opinions of some local coaches because I have access to it. If any other coaches want to post their opinions, then please leave your name with your post. Start with all-league voting opinion and then Tribune All-Area. Please be honest, there will be no hard feelings whatsoever.

It's the time again, I need your boys and girls athlete of the week suggestions. Remember, baseball, softball, track, swimming and yes, tennis, are all in play here. Also, any big games you feel we have to cover this week?

So you have had enough of the Scouting Guru? How about getting JC Shurbutt of ESPN's take on Saturday's Scouting Combine at USC. Upland quarterback Josh Nunez was mentioned on his list of top offensive returning players. On his top list of defensive players, he singled out Don Lugo lineman George Uko.

Check out ESPN's All-Greater L.A. Rise Magazine's baseball team. There are some locals on that team, starting with Jiovanni MIer (Bonita), Josh Leyland (San Dimas), Cody Regis (Glendora), Paul Paez (Bishop Amat). Hmm, Something tells me a player of the year could come out of this group.

Above: Bonita and USC bound Jiovanni Mier. Will Mier go to USC or sign with a Major League baseball team after the draft? it's a tough decision.

Semifinals
Tonight
Covina vs. San Dimas at Charter Oak, 5 p.m.
Friday
Glendora vs. El Rancho at Charter Oak, 5 p.m.

I don't have all the scoring results, but I have the results. Let's start with Covina, after getting hammered by San Dimas on Friday 10-4, Covina beat Ontario Christian, then got a forfeit victory over Los Osos (who had to get home for prom) to reach the semifinals. Who will Covina get? San Dimas again. The Saints beat Santa Fe, then knocked off Montebello. Covina and San Dimas will meet tonight at 5 p.m. instead of Friday so it doesn't interfere with league games. On the bottom half of the bracket, Glendora knocked Flintridge Sacred Heart (The Pasadena Star-News' No. 1 team), then beat Temple City to reach the semi's. The hardest road by far. El Ranch beat host Charter Oak, then played Sierra Vista, a big first-round winner over Harvard-Westlake. El Ranch beat Sierra Vista in the second round, so Glendora meets El Rancho in the other semifinal Friday at 5 p.m. The winners play on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Fred's thoughts: I'm shocked Covina is in the semifinals, but not completely surprised either because of the forfeit win. The Colts didn't look that bad against San Dimas on Friday, but I can tell they're better than most think. I'm happy that Sierra Vista beat Harvard-Westlake, showing they can compete outside the Montview. But I'm most impressed with, San Dimas and how they have grown since the season started. The Saints may wind up being the best team in the area when all is through. This team is experienced, having reached the semi's last year. They have two pitchers who throw hard and compete, and have hitters and speed on the base paths. Once they beat Covina to reach the championship, they will probably face Glendora, a dream area match-up in which the Saints will prevail. I'm getting that feeling again, and when I get it, I'm usually right.

Anything and anyone you want to talk about

After a great weekend off, here we go again. I'll have some new threads up later but in the meantime, what's Tribbin? Anything going on football wise that we should know about. Have players stopped transferring schools, any subtle coaching changes, any postion, err, quarterback wars going on out there? You know we love to hear about this stuff.

A schedule reminder for Saturday's Charter Oak softball tournament, which includes all first and second round games. Click thread for schedule.

Andrew Gallo, the person who was allegedly drinking in Covina before his car crashed into Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, killing Adenhart and two others, has been charged with three counts of murder, prompting his family to speak out.

Manny Acosta from South El Monte High School will be featured on tonight's (Friday) Dodger's Pregame show at 6:30 p.m. He will be receiving the Farmer's Insurance Citizen/Scholar/Athlete Award for his tremendous career in three sports. It will feature him with his dad, as well as highlights of his football and basketball careers. Congrats Manny, you deserve it.

By Andrew Campa
A total of 21 entries from throughout the San Gabriel Valley will participate in this weekend's prestigious 51st annual Mt. San Antonio College Track and Field Invitational which commences today.

I received a heavy-hearted email this morning about a fundraiser for Brandon Villalobos, the 23-year-old former Glendora High School baseball player who died in an off-road accident last weekend. Here's the info: "We have decided to make the Freshman Glendora vs. Damien Game our fundraiser for a scholarship in Brandon's Name. The services for Brandon will be held this Saturday (Glenkirk Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m.) and our game is scheduled for Thursday April 23, at 7 p.m. at Henderson Field. All of the proceeds from the snack bar will be donated and we are actively pursuing other donors. We are hoping that this kind of thing will help to heal the pain of Brandon's passing. He was a bright light in this world and it would be nice to keep the light shining.

There is a story worth investigating at Bonita, which I keep telling myself I will get to when I have more time. But why not throw it out there. Why does the softball team continue to play at a nearby park while the baseball team enjoys the comforts of home? Many parents have complained over the years about this lack on inequality, and some of those complaints have reached me through email. From what I have been told, these complaints to school officials haven't warranted much of a response. There has been enough complaining that portable toilets have finally been added. In previous years players and spectators had to make the long trek past the tennis courts to find restrooms. The field isn't bad, but when you don't have a field on campus, weekend softball players, and just about anyone else can tear up the field, leave their trash and beer cans and who winds up cleaning it up, softball coaches, parents, and others. At least on campus, you control your own facilities. Bonita has a beautiful baseball field, a state-of-the art track and football stadium, and what seems like a thousand soccer fields to satisfy all weekend club teams, so why can't they find room for a softball field? Bonita officials should start taking these complaints seriously. They should be reminded about the girls softball team at Alhambra, who challenged the school district when a state-of-the-art baseball field was built for the baseball team, but nothing was done for the softball team. When it was all over, and after all the money was spent on lawyers and litigation, the softball team finally got what they deserved, and the school district got what it deserved with all of the negative publicity.

BTW: Our photographer Keith Birmingham always seems to get the great shots, like this player when Bonita right fielder Ashlyn Canchola made a diving catch along the right field line in the first inning.

For those wondering, Mater Dei won the championship game of the National Classic, beating El Toro 2-1 at Cal State Fullerton, giving Orange County another reason to believe they play the best baseball in the country. Can't we get some of these O.C. powers to compete in our local tournaments? Anyways, Northview held its own, going 2-2 and even in the games they lost, they led going into the sixth inning. I have no idea what this should do to our rankings next week. No. 1 Bishop Amat finally lost and had its 12-game win streak snapped. No. 2 Glendora lost to Diamond Bar on Thursday. No. 3 Northview lost twice, but it was in the National Classic. South Hills lost to Chino HIlls, and Damien won two straight nonleague games after losing to Chino Hills a week earlier. Bonita, San Dimas and Charter Oak were all idle. Then there are others making a move like Gladstone, 11-3 after winning its own tournament. It won't be easy, the parity is closer than ever. Based on what you have seen so far, from the beginning until now, how would you rank these teams? Thank goodness the league races start heating up again next week, I'm tired of these doggone tournaments. Let's get the kids back in school, and get these rivalries going again.

It's always nice to get an email from Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty, so lets get the word out about the Lancers' coaching clinic. The school is conducting a coaching clinic geared towards youth football coaches on Saturday, May 2, from 9-3. They will have sessions on offensive & defensive fundamentals, tackling & takeaways, practice organization, and kicking game fundamentals. Also, Ralph Brown, Arizona Cardinals, will be a guest speaker immediately following lunch at 12:45. $20 fee gets you lunch and a great day of football.

Above: One of my personal favorites, Gladstone's Rich Remkus, shown here after winning his 500th game last season.

For fear of having to talk to these guys again (being both serious and joking), I wouldn't rank the area's best baseball coaches, I'll leave that for the bloggers. But just like football, we have some of the best baseball minds around, there is no denying that. In a thread long, long ago, I listed some of the area's most notable and respected football coaches, and asked the question, with all talent being equal, who would you most want to coach your team?. So, let's ask the same question in baseball. In no particular order, here are my top ten candidates, but you can add your own as well. Go easy, these baseball guys are a fickle group. They hate the blogs, but I know they read them too ...

Fred's candidates: Tom Quinley, Charter Oak; Rich Remkus, Gladstone; Darren Murphy, Northview; Andy Nieto, Bishop Amat; Kevin Smith, South Hills; John Romano, Nogales; Mike Regan, San Dimas; Dan Henley, Glendora; John Knott, Bonita; Joseph Verplanke, Diamond Ranch

Update: Northview wins its final game in the National Classic, 7-5, to go 2-2 in the presigious tournament, matching the 2-2 record that Bishop Amat had in the Classic last year.

Did you know: That Southlands Christian is in Walnut. Shame on us for not including them more. This is Sounthlands pitcher Andrew King letting one go in the first inning on Wednesday.

WITH TOURNAMENTS WINDING DOWN, LETS UPDATE ...

Gladstone tournament: You have to hand it to Gladstone, who has one of the best and most unappreciated coaches around in Rich Remkus. Gladstone beat Wilson, 3-2 in the championship on Wednesday, which is the same Wilson team that knocked off Bonita a couple weeks ago. The Gladiators are now 11-3, and knocking on the door of a top ten ranking. said Remkus: "We don't swing the bats real well, but this team has shown a remarkable ability to come back. This was the fourth straight game where we won a game in our last at-bat. I applaud the kids. They showed tremendous character."

National Classic: Northview fell to 1-2 in the National Classic after losing to Norco, 7-4 on Wednesday. The best thing you can say about the Vikes is that they have competed in every game against some of the best teams in the state and country. They're an extra-inning game from being 2-1, and they have led in every game they played going into the sixth inning, not bad. Today Northview finishes with either Jesuit (CA) or Concord De La Salle (the result has not been posted) at Esperanza High School at 1 p.m. For confidence reasons, this game is important. Going 2-2 feels so much better than going 1-3.

Anaheim Lions tournament: Doesn't it always happen. After giving Bishop Amat its props for going on a 12-game winning streak and starting 4-0 in the 46-team Lions tournament, they dropped a 3-2 decision to Reno, NV (17-3) in Wednesday's third-place game. The Lancers had their chances with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, but couldn't push the tying or winning runs across.

Don Lugo tournament: I don't have the results of our locals since they're not being reported on Maxpreps or called into the paper (hint, hint). This happens when you lose sometimes, it's easy to forget. I don't know the final scores, but South Hills crushed Baldwin Park to open the tournament, then got beat by Chino Hills on Wednesday.

Bosco Tech tournament: Southlands Christian, and that's Walnut Southlands Christian, reached the championship of the Bosco Tech tournament and lost 16-6 to the host Tigers. The greatest things about this, we gave some love to Southlands and covered the game. With photos I might add.

Today's Big Sierra League game: Diamond Bar at Glendora, 3:15 p.m.

Game Update: Any concern over losing and tying a doubleheader against South Hills over the weekend was put to rest by the Bonita High School softball team. Amber Bachman smacked her sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot to center that ended the game because of the mercy rule, giving the Bearcats a 10-0 victory over visiting Diamond Ranch in six innings on Thursday. Leadoff hitter Breanna Sandoval had a big afternoon, going 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs scored and an RBI. Sandoval's two-out single in the second inning scored Vanessa Romero, giving the Bearcats a 3-0 lead, which was more than enough for pitcher Chloe Wurst, who allowed just two hits in earning the complete-game shutout.

Above: That's Roxy Avalos (center) after hitting two-run homer in the fourth that sparked the Conq's rally.

At Wednesday's Los Altos-South Hills softball game, I got what I expected, a 12-0 Conquerors victory which sounds more lopsided than it actually was. First, South Hills is on its way. Not this year, but the next three years for sure. They're so young and talented, and I can understand how they can knock off a team like Bonita, then get hammered the next game. They're inexperienced, but freshmen Britney Rodriguez (a total stud), Kristen Stewart, Sydney La Folette and sophomore's Sam Nieves, Taylor Fisch and junior pitcher Victoria Bernard (who was much better than I thought), will grow into a dangerous bunch. Now, Los Altos, I have to tip my hat, you finally showed some zing. It took coach Lydell McCullough to challenge them to show more hunger after the third inning (heck the whole park heard him dig into them), and that's what they did, come out swinging with a purpose. When this team is zeroed in and focused, they're the best team in the area, hands down. With catcher Roxy Avalos hitting a two-run homer, and double, her hot bat adds to a lineup that features Washington State bound Courtney Gano, Latisha Dedeaux, Victoria Contreas (also a homer and double) and Diana-lynn Patterson, still the area's most complete player. Los Altos' biggest opponent is themselves, but if they can rise and meet the energy of their opponent like they did on Wednesday, there is not a team in the Valley that can hang with them, including Glendora.

Today's games
Miramonte League
Diamond Ranch at Bonita, 3:15 p.m.
Sierra League
Diamond Bar at Glendora, 3:15 p.m.

As you can tell, the blog has a new look with some new features. First, you can still comment anonymously or choose to register with a sign-in name in the event we go to registration full-time. Other than that, everything is normal and it is much quicker. At the very bottom, where is says select a newspaper, you can immediately look at other websites in our newsgroup. There is also a share this marker to your right, which allows you to share threads with anyone. The color will go back to grey and green in the coming days, but as you can tell, there hasn't been much of a change. I would encourage regular bloggers to sign-in to keep your famous screen names, and down the road, I can make you trusted commenters so that you will always be able to comment freely in the event we go back to approving comments before releasing them because of careless bloggers. You get it, if I trust you, you won't have a problem. If I don't, you may have to wait for your comment to be approved. Until we reach that point, you all get the benefit of the doubt and can comment freely.

ESPN's Rick Reilly writes a great piece on a day he spent with Kobe Bryant. BTW, Bryant says he won't opt out at the of the season in this piece. Playoffs start Sunday

LET THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN !!!

We just passed the three-year anniversary of the blog, which began on April 10, 2006 with the blog originator, Big Bad Aram Tolegian. As our blog changes its face sometime this afternoon (they say around 4 p.m.) , let us celebrate this magnificent milestone by posting some of Aram's old threads over the next year. The ones about his food, harsh criticism's, his "honies" in the office, and I might even add some of the old comments from those threads. We'll have fun with it. I won't say when or where, I'll sneak up on you with it. To start, how about the first thread ever. Hey, like our forefathers, at least he had the right intentions ...

Number of entries to date: 1,579
Number of comments to date: 95,028

Below: Do you see the comparison? Aram thought he was the Ben Affleck of the Tribune.

Aram's first post ever... this blog was made for you and me. Was that chorus too much for you? Anyway, welcome to my prep sports blog where you will hopefully spend several hours of your work day reading about, posting about, arguing about and laughing about the ever-growing world of prep sports. Please, for the good of the economy, try to stay productive on your job.

Other than that, there's nothing left to do but get started.

The first comment ever came from Mike Jones who wrote : "WOW!!!! This is awesome, it's about time we now have blogs....Let's get to it, let's use this and spread the word......Let's go Aram, give us something to get excited about......"

Glendora finally played, and then won, beating Diamond Bar 2-0 on Tuesday to open the Sierrra League. Bishop Amat also had a notable victory, beating El Modena 7-1, droping the ElMod's to 12-7. San Dimas cruised in five innings to defeated Ganesha, 14-2, but the game I am intrigued about today is Los Altos at South Hills at 3:15 p.m., What do we do with the Huskies if they knock off Bonita and Los Altos in the same week? I've said it before, Los Altos isn't a team that knocks the ball around the park against anyone, if the Huskies push a few runs across, this could get interesting ...

Today's games
Nonleague
Los Altos at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
San Antonio League
Rowland at West Covina, 3:15 p.m.

Update: I don't know all the details, but Northview lost 7-4 today to Norco and will play in a consolation game Thursday at 1 p.m. at Esperanza High School

Thank goodness, and great for the San Gabriel Valley. The scary thing about going to a tournament like this is getting humbled so much that it messes with your confidence the rest of the way. I thought Bishop Amat going 2-2 last year was huge, and if the Vikings can get another win over the next two days, that's huge too. Between Amat and Northview if we can go .500 in the National Classic over the last two years, it will prove once again that the SGV can hang with anyone.

It wasn't exactly the type of game the Northview High School baseball team has been known for. But there are no ugly wins in the Anderson Bat National Classic, which the Vikings will attest to after scoring a 7-3 victory over Mamaroneck (N.Y.) in a consolation quarterfinal at Esperanza on Tuesday. Northview, getting a steady pitching performance from Ruben Ramirez and multiple-hit efforts from seniors Richy Pedroza and R.J. Arnold, improved to 10-3 and will face either Norco in today's consolation semifinals at 4 p.m. at Esperanza.
To continue reading, click thread

Note: (Field #1:El Dorado HS), (Field #2 Esperanza HS), (Field #3 Cal State Fullerton)
Today's games
Game #17 Aptos vs Mamaroneck, NYat Field #2, 10:00am
Game #18 Spanish Fork, UT vs Don Bosco Prep, NJ ___- at Field #1, 10:00am
Game #19 Norco vs Northview at Field #2, 4:00pm
Game #20 Jesuit, CA vs De La Salle, CA Field #1, 4:00pm
Game #21 Notre Dame, AZ vs Arch Bishop Mitty, CA - at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #22 Notre Dame, CA vs El Dorado, CA - at Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #23 Mater Dei, CA vs Esperanza, CA - at Field #3, 8:15pm
Game #24 Palm Beach Central, Fl vs El Toro, CA - at Field #3, 5:15pm

Thursday's games
Game #25 Loser of Game #17 vs Loser of Game #18- at Field #1 (JV), 2:00pm
Game #26 Winner of game #17 vs Winner of Game #18 - at Field #2, 4:00pm
Game #27 Loser of Game #21 vs Loser of Game #22 - at Field #2, 10:00am
Game #28 Winner of Game #21 vs Winner of Game #22 - Field #1, 10:00am
Game #29 Loser of Game #19 vs Loser of Game #20- at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #30 Loser of Game #23 vs Loser of Game #24 - at Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #31 Winner of Game #19 vs Winner of Game #20 - Fld #1, 4:00pm

The blog may go down for a few hours on Wednesday. They're changing the look of our blog to be consistent with all the other blogs in our newsgroup. The new look will include the ability to set up registration if and when needed. I will keep you posted.

By Fred J. Robledo
San Dimas High School's Josh Leyland spent New Year's Day in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he was one of the invitees to the third annual International High School Power Showcase Home Run Derby at Tropicana Field. Participants included 69 of the best high school hitters in the nation along with players from nine other countries. Leyland didn't win it, but the senior left a lasting impression by hitting a 472-foot shot onto the roof of a restaurant in center field. It was the fifth-longest home run in the two-day competition and cemented the catcher's status as one of the nation's best power-hitting left-handed batters.
To continue reading, click thread

Leyland in Home Run Derby

Above: After a slow start, Amat's Paul Paez is finding his groove again.

Baseball top ten rankings
1. Bishop Amat (13-3) - It's amazing that some folks on this blog still want to talk about what happened in the Glendora tournament. How about what's happened lately, like an 11-game winning streak, the pitching and hitting in balance, and top notch wins over Servite, Lutheran and Santa Margarita. Don't argue with our No. 1, we know what we're talking about.
2. Glendora (11-4) - How impressive was their run to the Arcadia tournament title, beating host Arcadia and No. 1 pitcher Rutherford in the championship, 3-0. They also beat St. Francis, Nogales and San Dimas, and deserve this big bump to No. 2
3. Northview (9-3) - With the Vikings losing to Arch Bishop Mitty 8-7 in nine innings today, they move into the loser's bracket of the National Classic. Since the competition they're facing is so unique, I'm only dropping them one spot for now.
4. Bonita (12-3) - Do you move Charter Oak ahead after beating Bonita in the championship of the Northview tournament? Not so quick, they are 1-1 against each other, and the Bearcats own a tournament title too, winning Glendora to start the year.
5. San Dimas (10-3) - - The Saints' only loss in the Arcadia tournament came in extra innings against tournament champ Glendora. They're looking like the real deal and can't wait until their home-and-home against Northview later down the road.
6. Charter Oak (12-5) - The Chargers are improving week to week and gaining confidence along the way. The way they battled back against Diamond Bar before knocking off Bonita 3-0 in the Northview tournament was impressive. Now let's see if they can keep it up.
7. South Hills (10-5) - A very impressive 6-3 win over a 13-3 Beckman team in the Beach Pit Classic. They lost to Newport Harbor, then came back and beat Corona del Mar. Today they face Baldwin Park at 12:30 at Baldwin Park as part of the Don Lugo tournament.
8. Damien (10-4) - Spliting with Chino Hills is nothing to feel bad about, but the runs the Spartans allow must be a concern. They lost 16-8 to the Huskies after winning 8-7 earlier in the week.
9. Nogales (13-5) - They lose to San Dimas and Glendora in the Arcadia tournament, but still go 2-2. Now they finish up the Don Lugo tournament against Duarte and Diamond Ranch
10. Wilson (8-4) - The Wildcats crack the top ten for the first time this season after an impressive 4-3 win over Bonita and a staggering five game winning streak under first-year coach Gary Libby. If you said you saw this coming, you're just not telling the truth.

DON LUGO TOURNAMENT
GROUP A: Arroyo; Ayala; Baldwin Park; Diamond Ranch
GROUP B: Don Lugo, La Puente, Chino Hills, Duarte
GROUP C: Rowland, Monrovia, South Hills, Nogales

Today at Ayala: Nogales vs. Duarte, 9:30 a.m.; La Puente vs. Monrovia, 12:30 p.m.; La Puente vs. Ayala, 3:30 p.m.
Today at Don Lugo: South Hills vs. Baldwin Park, 9:30 a.m.; Arroyo vs. Rowland, 12:30 p.m.; Arroyo vs. Don Lugo, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday at Ayala: Diamond Ranch vs. Duarte, 9:30 a.m.; Diamond Ranch vs. Nogales, 12:30 p.m.; Monrovia vs. Ayala, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday at Don Lugo: Chino Hills vs. South Hills, 9:30 a.m.; Chino Hills vs. Baldwin Park, 12:30 p.m.; Rowland vs. Don Lugo, 3:30 p.m.

Gladstone Tournament
Today's semifinals
Wilson vs. Rosemead, 10 a.m.
La Baptist vs. Gladstone, 2 p.m.
Wednesday's championship 2 p.m.

Baseball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

<a href="http://www.maxpreps.com">MaxPreps High School Sports</a>

Girls Softball top ten rankings
1. Glendora (6-2) - It's almost embarrassing that the Tartans only have played eight games. It has definitely hurt their CIF ranking, meaning that's why they're not ranked in Div. II after reaching the title game last year. Only one game since the San Dimas tournament? C'mon, turn 'em loose
2. Los Altos (10-4) - The Conquerors were idle last week, but jump back to No. 2 after the Bearcats' slip against South Hills. There is only one game that truly matters, the rubber match at Bonita on April 30 for what should be the league title.
3. Bonita (14-3-1) - They were looking so good, moving all the way to No. 4 in the Division III rankings then, wham, South Hills beats them 4-1, then they tie the second game of a doubleheader, 7-7 against the Huskies. It just goes to show, the closer you get to the top, the more others want to knock you off.
4. San Dimas (8-3) - The Saints also were idle last week, but take a five game winning streak into games against Ganesha, then Covina on Friday. I might cover that Covina-San Dimas game. Can the Colts pull a South Hills on the Saints?
5. Sierra Vista (11-1) - I wish they were updating their stats like last year, but boy, this is getting really impressive. We will find out all we need to know this weekend when they open against Harvard-Westlake in the Charger Classic.
6. Bishop Amat (8-8) - After a tough 16 games, they continue with more tough games ahead against El Modena, Saugus, and Carson. Too bad they weren't in any local tournaments, I would have love to see how they matched up.
7. South El Monte (8-4) - A pair of victories over El Monte and Mountain View continues the the Eagles' resurgence. Now they get Rosemead and Arroyo this week.
8. South Hills (10-6-1) - Oh my, they didn't just crack the top ten, they plowed right into it with Saturday's win and tie against Bonita. The Huskies are unbeaten in six straight, and one of the most improved over the last month. They host Los Altos tomorrow.
9. Walnut (6-4) - Their last game was a 6-0 loss to Rowland. I know they beat South Hills 3-2, but that seems so long ago now. The race for the San Antonio is tight, it should be fun covering it down the stretch.
10. Covina (6-4) - No movement from the Colts, they pick it up this week against Pomona then San Dimas. A sweep would surely move them up a few notches.

Charter Oak tourney: Saturday's Charter Oak tournament first round games. The second games of the knockout bracket also are on Saturday. These games are in order, so pair them two at a time and you can tell who matches up in the second round.

Saturday's first-round
Los Osos vs. Monrovia at San Dimas, 9 a.m.
Ontario Christian vs. Covina at San Dimas, 9 a.m.
Pomona Catholic vs. Montebello at San Dimas, 11 a.m.
Santa Fe vs. San Dimas at San Dimas, 11 a.m.
Glendora vs. Sacred Heart at Charter Oak, 9:30 a.m.
Temple City vs. South El Monte, at Charter Oak, 9 a.m.
Harvard Westlake vs. Sierra Vista at Charter Oak, 11 a.m.
El Rancho vs. Charter Oak at Charter Oak, 11:30 a.m.

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Update: Thanks to Covina coach Kevin Glaspy for helping with the area's top track marks. I posted them in Wednesday's Tribune and will post them every other week the rest of the way to get everyone's name in the paper. Remember, to submit stats, coaches need to input them at the EPIsports or dyestatcal database. Do not send updated marks to the tribune or anyone else.

Above: Diamond Ranch's Karynn Dunn competing in Saturday's long jump at Arcadia.

Now that the Arcadia Invitational is in the books, several of the area's track marks have changed a bit to note the great accomplishments over the weekend. This week is the continuation of the 51st Mt. San Antonio Relays, with high schools competing Friday and Saturday. For more information click the link and for updated track marks, click the thread.

In Northview's opener of the National Classic against Arch Bishop MItty, it was called due to darkness after the teams were tied 7-7. It resumed this morning and Mitty won, 8-7 in nine innings. Northview will face Mamaroneck, NY in the second game of the loser's bracket at Esperanza High School at 4 p.m.

Note: (Field #1:El Dorado HS), (Field #2 Esperanza HS), (Field #3 Cal State Fullerton)
Monday's reesults
Game #1 - Aptos, CA - 3 vs Mater Dei, CA - 4
Game #2 Notre Dame, AZ - 9 vs Norco, CA - 8
Game #3 Arch Bishop Mitty 8, Northview, CA - 7, 9 innings
To be continued at 9am at Esperanza HS - Tues 4/14
Game #4 Mamaroneck, NY - 7 vs Esperanza, CA - 8
Game #5 Spanish Fork, UT -1 vs Palm Beach Central, FL - 3
Game #6 Notre Dame, CA - 8 - vs Jesuit, CA - 6
Game #7 Don Bosco Prep, NJ - 7 vs El Dorado, CA - 9
Game #8 De La Salle, CA - 6 - vs El Toro, CA - 8

Today's games
Game #9 Aptos vs Norco at Field #1, 4:00pm
Game #10 Northview vs Mamaroneck, NY at Field #2, 4:00pm
Game #11 Spanish Fork, UT vs Jesuit, CA - at Field #2, 10:00am
Game #12 Don Bosco Prep, NJ vs De La Salle, CA - Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #13 Mater Dei, CA vs Notre Dame, AZ - at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #14 Arch Bishop Mitty vs Esperanza, CA - at Field #3, 4:30pm
Game #15 Palm Beach Central, Fl vs Notre Dame, CA at Field #1, 10am
Game #16 El Dorado, CA vs El Toro, CA - at Field #3, 7:15pm

Time Warner's Reginald Miller, our two-minute drill partner and a huge follower of high school sports in the San Gabriel Valley, was featured in La Verne Online with Covina boxer John Molina, who is Miller's client and running partner. The 5-foot-11 Molina is an undefeated junior lightweight with a 16-0 record, 12-0 by knockout. It's a great story, check it out.

No explanation necesssary, need the best male and female performer from last week to feature on page three Wednesday. Track, swimming, baseball, softball, tennis and golf all in play.

This has to be the most shocking result of the weekend. Unless the scores are wrong on MaxPreps, unranked South Hills softball beat the Tribune's No. 2 Bonita 4-1, then in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday, it was called after the teams tied 6-6 after seven innings. This confirms what some have told me about South Hills being one of the better hitting teams in the area with not just good bats, but young bats. Maybe I'll have to check out the South Hills-Los Altos game on Wednesday. As for Bonita, this has to hurt their No. 4 ranking in Division III.

Bishop Amat had a great weekend in the 35th Annual Anaheim Lions Easter Baseball Tourney winning two on Saturday from Servite and Orange Lutheran. Pitching was amazing with two complete game gems. Brady Zuniga battled Servite with a tough 3-2 victory, and in the nightcap Paul Paez pitched a gem (13 strikouts) beating highly rated Orange Lutheran 4-2. Go SGV Baseball!

Robledo says: It's true, just checked it, our No. 1 team is now 12-3. The Lancers take on Santa Margarita today at Brookhurst Park in Anaheim, 1 p.m.

UPDATE: Bishop Amat wins again, 9-1 over Santa Margarita.

The schedule for the National Classic is posted here, with Northview taking on Arch Bishop Mitty in the first round on Monday at Esperanza HS at 4 p.m. With Mater Dei, El Toro and a powerful lineup of other schools, how will Northview do?

Monday's lineup: (Field #1:El Dorado HS), (Field #2 Esperanza HS), (Field #3 Cal State Fullerton)

Game #1 - Aptos, CA vs Mater Dei, CA at Field #2, 10:00am
Game #2 Notre Dame, AZ vs Norco, CA - at Field #2, 1:00pm
Game #3 Northview, CA vs Arch Bishop Mitty, CA - at Field #2 , 4:00pm
Game #4 Mamaroneck, NY vs Esperanza, CA - Field #3, 7:15pm
Game #5 Spanish Fork, UT vs Palm Beach Central, FL - at Field #1, 10:00am
Game #6 Notre Dame, CA vs Jesuit, CA - at Field #1, 1:00pm
Game #7 Don Bosco Prep, NJ vs El Dorado, CA - at Field #3, 4:30pm
Game #8 De La Salle, CA vs El Toro, CA - at Field #1, 4:00pm

Above: Brandon Villalobos while
pitching at Long Beach State.

It is with great sadness on this Easter Sunday that I inform all who love Valley sports as much as myself that we lost one of our best Saturday with the death of former Glendora High School pitcher Brandon Villalobos, who died from injuries suffered in an off-road accident in the high desert. He was 23. Villalobos was a hard-throwing lefthander who showed solid potential since earning All-Sierra League honorable mention as a sophomore. He was selected first team All-Area in 2003. He signed with Long Beach State out of Glendora and started five games for the Dirtbags in 2004 before being sidelined by an injury, which also forced him to miss all of the 2005 season. Villalobos, who also won a Babe Ruth World Series with the El Monte Dukes and a Connie Mack World Series with the Long Beach Cardinals, then transferred to Chaffey College, where he was 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA and had 32 strikeouts in the 37 innings during the 2006 season. He was drafted in the 23rd round by the Chicago White Sox, but elected to attend San Diego State. He missed the 2007 season, but had a limited role in 2008.
Villalobos, also the pitching coach at Glendale Hoover High School, signed with the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League and was scheduled to report to the Sauget, Ill. team on April 23.
Funeral services are pending.
My only thoughts are that Brandon was a good kid with great talent, and he was always a joy to talk to. I also will repeat of what I wrote on the afterpreps blog about the recent tragedy that cost the life of Angel pitcher Nick Adenhart and how it effected former Glendora pitcher Wes Roemer, and that is that sometimes things don't make sense in this life, or are even seem fair. I can only relate my personal experiences. I lost my best friend in life 10 years ago this summer, and my older brother passed a few years ago. I believe that all you can do in these circumstances are to reflect on the good times and keep your lost loved ones forever in your heart. On that thought, here is a video from a "Little House on the Praire" episode that I think explains it better than I can put into words. I have it bookmarked and often view it for my own peace of mind.

Hi all:
I just wanted to let you know about my latest entry on Prep Stars: Where are you now?
Today, I write about former Glendora High School baseball star Wes Roemer, who is dealing with the tragedy that cost the life of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in a crash earlier this week. Courtney Stewart, who also died in the crash, was a friend of Roemer's at Cal State Fullerton and the two stayed in contact. Jon Wilhite, the lone survivor, was Roemer's catcher for the Titans. Both of them were on his mind when he opened the season by tossing five-shutout innings for the Visalia Rawhide in a 5-3 victory at Lake Elsinore on Friday.

Our good friend Pete Marshall at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin posted this on his blog recently. It gives further insight to what might happen with releaguing in the coming weeks ....

Marshall writes: It's down to 2 proposals, but might not be limited to two, for releaguing the Mt. SAC Area in the high schools. There will be plenty of politicking over the next few weeks about which of the two proposals to vote for. If they can't get a 2/3 vote by the 42 principals in the area on one of the two, then other proposals will be considered. Sticking points that my be an issue at the principal's meeting April 21:

1) The Baseline League wants Glendora and not Damien/St. Lucy's, to join their league.
2) One proposal has Charter Oak in the Sierra League. Charter Oak contends that works for baseball and maybe 1 or 2 other sports, but isn't a good match overall.
3) The red proposal has too many five-team leagues to pass, is my guess
4) Damien/St. Lucy's is an unpopular school tandem to have in a league, but others have issues with Diamond Ranch and/or South Hills, for various reasons, too.
5) Do people prefer the 6 or 7 league proposal?

Here are the proposals (note: Mt. Baldy, Valle Vista and Montview are the same in the 2 proposals)

RED (7 LEAGUES) *-changed from existing

Baseline(5): Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland
Sierra (5): Ayala, Chino Hills, Damien/St. Lucy's, D. Ranch*, Glendora
Mt. Baldy (7): Chaffey, Chino*, Colony, Don Lugo, Garey, Montclair, Ontario
Miramonte (5): Bonita, Charter Oak, Claremont*, Los Altos, S. Hills*
San Antonio(5): Diamond Bar*, Nogales, Rowland, Walnut, West Covina
Valle Vista(6): Baldwin Park, Covina, Northview, Pomona, San Dimas, Wilson*
Montview (8): Azusa, Bassett, Duarte, Ganesha*, Gladstone, La Puente, Sierra Vista, Workman

BLUE (6 LEAGUES) *-changed from existing
Baseline(6): Alta Loma, Etiwanda, Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Damien/St. Lucy's*
Sierra (7): Ayala, Chino Hills, Charter Oak*, Claremont*, Diamond Ranch*, Glendora, S. Hills*
Mt. Baldy (7): Chaffey, Chino*, Colony, Don Lugo, Garey, Montclair, Ontario
San Antonio(7): Bonita*, Diamond Bar*, Los Altos* Nogales, Rowland, Walnut, West Covina
Valle Vista(6): Baldwin Park, Covina, Northview, Pomona, San Dimas, Wilson*
Montview (8): Azusa, Bassett, Duarte, Ganesha*, Gladstone, La Puente, Sierra Vista, Workman

Robledo absolutely prefers the Red Proposal, how about you?

Who has the most high school football players at Div I-A or Div. I-AA Universities? With help from the Scouting Guru and our loyal commenters, Bishop Amat leads the way with eight. As many of you know, Spring Football has started in the US with a fragment of the teams just getting their spring football over with. So we decided to take a look around the west coast and some of the U.S. to find our past graduates. Our qualifications were simple. They have to be listed on the roster this spring. Scholarship or walk-on. It doesn't matter. So, let's break down the players by their respective high school they graduated from and see which area HS players are at. If the player came from a junior college it is noted. Remember, we are looking for either D-1A or D-1AA schools. D-II"s or D III's don't count here, and this DOES NOT include players signed still in high school. If we missed someone, sorry, tell us who and we'll add to the list. You can find the list by clicking on the thread

Maybe we don't pay enough attention to the Montview League. Check this out, Sierra Vista High School's Christian Huerta has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the area the past few weeks. Thursday, he showed how dominant, throwing the school's first no-hitter in more than a decade in a 7-0 victory over Workman. Huerta, who just missed throwing a no-hitter lat week against Duarte, also STRUCK OUT 18 to improve to 4-2. He walked two batters. Sierra Vista improved to 10-4 and 5-1. Huerta becomes the first Dons pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Pete Flores in 1995. Flores threw five consecutive shutouts that season. "He should have two in a row," Dons coach Brett Stevens said of Huerta. "He had one going last week when they bunted with us leading 24-0. He had 10 strikeouts in that game." Question: At 10-4, should Sierra Vista crack the top ten rankings.
Correspondent John Honell called to thank me (sarcastically) for sending him to Thursday's Chino Hills-Damien marathon. Chino Hills won 16-8 as Damien walked 11 in the first three innings alone.

Bonita back in action today hoping to rebound from Wednesday's loss to Charter Oak.

Today's games
Miramonte League
Los Altos at Bonita, 11 a.m.
Mission Valley League
Arroyo at El Monte, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at South El Monte, 3:15 p.m.

With one big game today, Chino Hills at Damien at 3:15 p.m., I thought it was a good chance to show where everyone is ranked now that we have reached the midway point. The shocker is in Div. II, with the Sierra League shutout in the rankings. That should change, I mean, they have Arcadia and St. Francis ranked, but we know Glendora proved to be the best of the best in Arcadia's own backyard for the second straight year. The race in Div. IV is on, Northview, San Dimas, and Bishop Amat all in the top five. How far will Bonita fall after losing again this week? I also posted the area hitting leaders, or should I say, the few leaders that coaches report to MaxPreps. San Dimas' Josh Leyland is an absolute animal, his numbers are off the charts.

Joe Amat tipped me on to this feature at Maxpreps. What I did was localize it for us this way you can look at the area leaders, standings and check schedules of our local teams. Please coaches, update MaxPreps and you will all be included...Do you love this or what? To get baseball, just click top right corner

<a href="http://www.maxpreps.com">MaxPreps High School Sports</a>

CIF-SS rankings
Division II: 1. Yucaipa, 2. El Toro, 3. Crespi, 4. Notre Dame, 5. Palos Verdes, 6. Upland, 7. Arcadia, 8. St. Francis, 9. San Luis Opisbo, 10. Vista Del Lago, (NO SIERRA LEAGUE).
Division III: 1. Beckman, 2. Gahr, 3. Quatz Hills, 4. Bonita, 5. Hemet, 6. Paramount, 7. South Hills, 8. Alhambra, 9. California, 10. Corona del Mar. Others: San Gorgonio, Westminster, Charter Oak, Downey, Nogales.
Division IV: 1. El Segundo, 2. Northview, 3. San Dimas, 4. Bishop Amat, 5. St. Paul, 6. Palm Desert, 7. Torrance, 8. Patriot, 9. Fullerton, 10. Monrovia.

With most schools on spring break I thought it was a good time to show you the current CIF rankings and the area's top batting leaders provided by MaxPreps. When I look at these rankings, the teams with a best chance at winning titles are Bishop Amat, San Dimas and South El Monte, all in winnable divisions. Glendora is not ranked in Div. II, and Bonita has a generous No. 4 in Division III. Don't get upset Bearcats, just being honest.

CIF Rankings
Division III: 1. Tesoro, 2. Oaks Christian, 3. Patriot, 4. Bonita, 5. Ayala, 6. Crescenta Valley, 7. Los Altos, 8. Flintridge Sacred Heart, 9. Alemany, 10. Rigehtti.
Division IV: 1. Ocean View, 2. Lakewood St. Joseph, 3. Torrance, 4. Bishop Amat, 5. Segerstrom, 6. Aquinas, 7. Cabrillo, 8. Santa Monica, 9. El Segundo, 10. Cantwell Sacred Heart.
Division V: 1. Woodcrest Christian, 2. Whittier Christian, 3. Village Christian, 4. Calvary Murrieta, 5. Riverside Christian, 6. La Canada, 7. Estancia, 8. San Dimas, 9. Chadwick, 10. Sierra Vista.
Division VI: 1. La Salle, 2. Maranatha, 3. Marymount, 4. South El Monte, 5. Ramona Convent, 6. Oxford Academy, 7. Grace Brethren, 8. Campbell Hall, 9. Serra, 10. Viewpoint.

Softball Leaders
All stats from MaxPreps
Top Ten Hitters (Min. 22-at bats)
Rodriguez, South Hills Fr., .588, 30-51, 4 homers
Reina Gaber, South El Monte Sr., .588, 20-34, 4 homers
Jazzmin Arrant, Covina, So., .577, 15-26, 3 homers
Yumiko Hiroto, San Dimas, Sr. 568, 21-37, 2 homers
Molina, South Hills, So., .561, 32-57, 1 homer
Molly Ross, Covina, Fr., .543, 19-35, 4 homers
Gipsy Ramirez, San Dimas, Sr., .528, 19-36, 1 homer
Larae Gonzales, Arroyo, Jr, .526, 20-38, 3 homers
Brittany Flores, Sierra Vista, So, .524, 11-21, 3 homers
Monique Villasenor, Charter Oak, Fr., .500, 16-32
Veronica Ramirez, Azusa, So., 489, 23-47, 3 homers
Heather Harrison, Northview, Sr., .486, 18-37, 4 homers
Kyla Papez, Charter Oak, Fr., .474, 18-38, 1 homer
Ariel Shore, San Dimas, Sr., 18-38
Yvette Cano, West Covina, Jr, .465, 20-43, 2 homers
Note: South Hills doesn't provide first names.

Breaking News: Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others, including a Diamond Bar woman, died Thursday morning after their car was broadsided by a suspected drunken driver. The accident occurred just hours after Adenhart, 22, made his first start of the season and held the Oakland A's scoreless in six innings. The Angels postponed Thursday night's game with the A's. The players gathered at Angel Stadium in the afternoon to remember their teammate. "It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said at a morning news conference. Adenhart, 22, a right-hander from Maryland, was one of three passengers in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Courtney Stewart, 20, of Diamond Bar. The Eclipse was struck at Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton at about 12:30 a.m. by a minivan that apparently ran a red light, police said. The crash impact spun both vehicles, and one then struck another car.
The driver of that car was not hurt, police said. A passenger in the minivan, Raymond Alexander Rivera, 21, was hospitalized with minor injuries, police said. Rivera reportedly grew up in Covina and attended Northview High School. The minivan driver fled the crash scene on foot and was captured a half-hour later. Police identified him as Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of San Bernardino, and said he had a suspended license because of a previous drunken driving conviction. In January, Gallo had been convicted in West Covina Superior Court of disturbing the peace. His mother lives in San Gabriel, according to public records."

Photo of alleged driver Gallo. A passenger in Gallo's minivan when the crash occured is 21-year-old Raymond Alexander Rivera, who reportedly grew up in Covina and attended Northview high school. Rivera was hospitalized with minor injuries.

By Steve Ramirez
It's funny how things work out sometimes.
Take the case of Damien High School's Taylor Herrera, considered one of the top sprinters in the CIF-Southern Section, if not the state.
But there was a time when the senior, who also plays football and soccer for the Spartans, considered track and field as an afterthought.
"I'm a track guy who plays football," said Herrera, who is one of the featured entries in the 100- and 200-meter runs for Saturday's invitational portion of the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School. "The funny thing is that my freshman year I played football, then soccer, and when spring came, I decided not to run track, because I felt I needed a timeout.
To continue reading, click thread

This is what's great about being in a newsroom, you don't miss anything. Tiger tee's off at 10:52, with ESPN beginning its coverage at 1. I've got Padraig Harrington in a pool, but it's all about Tiger, why else would anyone watch. The Dodgers come on at 12:30, so as Vinny says, pull up a chair and enjoy.

Do you remember this 2005 Masters Moment

Former Muir football and track coach Jim Brownfield, 80, has been hospitalized at Kaiser Sunset in Hollywood. The legendary coach might need heart surgery. As many of you know, Brownfield ran the Hall of Fame all star football game for many years, and is one of the greatest coaches in San Gabriel Valley history. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Brownfield family. We'll keep you posted when we learn more.

Courtesy of Star-Newbie Miguel Melendez ....
Glendora wins, 3-0: There would be no umbrellas or a comeback from the Arcadia High School baseball team for that matter.
Bryce Rutherford was stymied by Glendora's Kyle Layton who scored all three runs to lead the Tartans to a 3-0 win on a chilly Wednesday night in the final of the Apache Invitational at Arcadia High. Arcadia (13-2) suffered its second setback of the season. They dropped one two nights ago to Beverly Hills, 5-4, and needed a late rally to oust West Covina, 5-3, on Tuesday night. Glendora (11-4) meanwhile was still riding its wave of momentum that carried over from an 8-7 win in 10 innings over San Dimas and 5-3 win over Nogales on Tuesday afternoon. This was the Tartans' second straight Apache Invitational championship. Whether it was a cold shoulder (Rutherford had not pitched since Saturday) or jitters from watching a St. Louis Cardinals scout clock his pitches with a radar gun, it's unclear what led to Rutherford's uncharacteristic performance. The same could be said of Arcadia's defense which committed two costly errors. The Apaches also left seven runners on base. Ruhterford was upped by Michale Gonzales who went the distance, throwing 87 pitches and allowing only four hits and six strikeouts. Rutherford pitched six innings and struck out seven, but a wild pitch in the second put the Apaches in an early uphill battle.

For information on this weekend's 41st Arcadia Invitational, click here. Also, we will have a story on Damien sprint standout Taylor Herrera in tomorrow's paper. As always, for the area's top track marks, click the thread.

I'm chilling at home watching the Dodgers, Lakers and okay I will say it, American Idol, but my inside source says Charter Oak is leading Bonita 2-0 in the fifth inning of the championship game of the Northview tournament. A drizzle has turned into a steady rain, so we'll see what happens....
Update:The rain has lightened up, but Bonita's chances are fading, it's still 2-0 Charter Oak in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bonita has three outs left in the seventh....
Update II: Just when I said the rain was slowing, it started to pour and now there is a 30-min delay with Charter Oak (home team) leading 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning. If they can't resume in 30 minutes, the Chargers win the title.
Update III: They have resumed (even though it's still raining) and Charger Oak has added another run in the sixth to go up 3-0. They're headed to the top of the seventh.
Final Update: It's over, Charter Oak stuns Bonita, 3-0.

Glendora beat Nogales 5-3 this afternoon to advance to the championship game of the Arcadia baseball tournament on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Glendora will meet host Arcadia in the championship. The Apaches won with a 5-3 win over West Covina. Tartans pitcher Adam Plutko started and threw six shutout innings, losing a no-hitter in the fifth. Plutko was replaced in the seventh inning with a 5-0 lead, then had to watch and hold his breath as the Tartans held on for dear life to preserve the victory.

This looks familiar, Bishop Amat and Northview 1 & 2. This was a hard week to do rankings. With Bonita losing to Wilson, I was ready to jump San Dimas to No. 1, then they lose to Glendora on Monday. The only team without a glitch the past couple weeks is Bishop Amat, who's pitching is catching up to their hitting. But let's be honest, Bishop Amat, Northview, San Dimas and Bonita all make strong cases for No. 1, so I'm going with my gut, and my gut tells me these are the top four, in this order ...

Bishop Amat gets big out in win over St. Paul

Big games today
Northview tournament championship
Bonita vs. Charter Oak at Maverick Field in West Covina
Arcadia tournament round-robin
Glendora vs. Nogales, 1 p.m.
San Dimas vs. St. Francis, 4 p.m.

Baseball top ten rankings
1. Bishop Amat (6-3) - Well, well, look who's back on top. They have won seven straight, including a huge 1-0 win over rival St. Paul. Pitching that was missed earlier is back, having allowed just four runs over their last four games, including two shutouts. Don't hate, appreciate, the boys in blue are back.
2. Northview (9-2) - After San Dimas dropped Northview, the Vikes come back with three straight, including a a 5-2 nonleague win over Harvard-Westlake. Look, we're all waiting to see how they do in the National Classic next week. Hope they do the SGV proud.
3. Bonita (11-2) - Oh Bonita. Here is a team on the verge of winning their second straight local tournament tonight when they play rival Charter Oak in the championship of the Northview tournament, but how can you ignore their unexplainable 4-3 loss to Wilson?
4. San Dimas (9-3) - - I was so close to moving the Saints on top then they lose a heartbreaker to Glendora, 8-7, in 10 innings on Monday in the Arcadia tournament, which snapped their six-game win streak.
5. Glendora (9-4) - If the Tartans beat Nogales today they will play in the Arcadia tournament title game Wednesday night after winning a thriller in extra innings over San Dimas on Monday. They do have two eyesores, however, losses to Chino and Don Lugo.
6. Damien (9-3) - After a stinging 14-3 loss to Chino, they bounced back with a sweep over Azusa and now face Chino Hills in back-to-back games today and at home on Thursday.
7. South Hills (8-4) - The Huskies have won five straight since a 2-1 loss to Nogales, allowing just five runs during that stretch, which includes two shutouts. The problem early on was losing 4-1, 2-1 and 3-1. They have the pitching, and now with their bats coming alive, they're starting to look dangerous again.
8. Charter Oak (12-5) - The Chargers rallied from six runs down to defeat Diamond Bar 11-9 in eight innings to reach tonight's Northview championship against rival Bonita, a team it lost 2-1 to a week earlier. Four of their five losses were to Bishop Amat, Glendora, Crescenta Valley and Bonita. On any given day, they can play with anyone.
9. Nogales (12-4) - When Melchor pitches, they can play and beat anyone in the area. When he's not in the hill, you just don't know what you're getting. Still, 12-4 is a good start. Let's see how they do against Glendora today in the Arcadia tournament.
10. Diamond Bar (9-6) - They blew a 6-0 lead against Charter Oak in the semifinals of the Northview tournament. I still think they're a good-hitting team, but I'm not sure if they have the pitching that the rest of our top ten enjoys.

Baseball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

The biggest surprise in this week's rankings is that I've got an 8-8 Bishop Amat over a 9-1 Sierra Vista? That's becuse there is a huge gap between the top five and bottom five. I look at it this way, Bishop Amat has six wins over teams that are better than any of Sierra Vista's wins. But don't sleep on the Dons, they have a legitimate pitcher, I just want to see them win against better teams. Glendora is the obvious No. 1, but here comes the blog's drama-filled Bearcats, making a mid-season push for the top spot. Los Altos? I can't figure them out yet.

Safe: Glendora runner slides safely at second in last week's 3-1 win over Bishop Amat.

Girls Softball top ten rankings
1. Glendora (6-2) - Who made their crummy schedule? Their 3-1 victory over Bishop Amat last week came two weeks after their loss to Etiwanda in the San Dimas tournament final, then they take another week off before playing Diamond Bar in the Sierra League opener on April 14. Still, they beat Bonita without Waldusky, so it's a no-brainer, they're No. 1.
2. Bonita (14-2) - You have to hand it to the 'Cats, after losing a game they probably should have won at home to Los Altos, they go to Los Altos and get a big win, and are streaking again, winners of seven straight.
3. Los Altos (10-4) - The top spot was theirs to lose and they lost it. I just don't see the hunger in their eyes that I see in other teams. Maybe that will come when the playoffs near, but it's not there now. Talent-wise, they have it all, but it takes more than just talent.
4. San Dimas (8-3) - It must be April, because the slow-starting Saints are starting to warm-up. They have won five straight, and allowed just two runs over a four-game stretch, which includes back-to-back wins over Covina and Northview.
5. Bishop Amat (8-8) - I know they lost four of five, but they still looked pretty good in a 3-1 loss to Glendora at home last week. Their schedule is brutal, and maybe it pays off down the road. But if I'm being honest, they're still a top five despite their .500 record.
6. Sierra Vista (9-1) - Hey Fred, why are you dissing the Dons? Because the only big win on their schedule was against some unknown 6-4 team named Connelly. I guarantee if they prove their worth in next week's Charter Oak tournament, they will climb up the board in a hurry.
7. South El Monte (6-4) - They split a double-header against a very good Cantwell Sacred Heart team, the best evidence yet that they're bouncing back from their early season troubles.
8. Charter Oak (8-5) - The loss of McKenna Gooden, arguably one of the area's best hitters if not the best, is a tough blow on a team that relies on hitting. With Los Altos and Bonita in their league, that's a tough spot to be in.
9. Walnut (6-4) - I was getting ready to bump the Mustangs up the rankings then they lose two-straight to Bonita and Rowland. Bonita I can forgive, but a 6-0 loss to a 6-8 Rowland team I can't forget.
10. Covina (6-4) - The Colts won three straight, including a 6-5 win over rival Northview that puts them second in the Valle Vista all by themselves. They're swinging the bat, I'll give them that.

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

By Fred J. Robledo
Duarte High School athletic director Robyn Garcia confirmed on Monday that four varsity football players from the 2008 football season have left school, including highly touted senior-to-be running back Jordan Canada, a first-team Montview League selection as a junior. Canada, a 5-foot-10, 160-pounder, rushed for 1,956 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 195 yards for the Falcons during an injury-plagued junior season in which he missed three games. Canada began taking classes at South Hills High School last week along with his younger brother Jamie Canada, a talented running back/wide receiver and defensive back who made the Falcons' varsity team as a freshman. Sophomore linebacker Wardell Crutchfield Jr., the son of former Falcons coach Wardell Crutchfield, and sophomore quarterback Demetrius Jackson left earlier this year for Baldwin Park, Braves athletic director Mike Zimmerman confirmed.
To continue reading, click thread

Monday's semifinals
At Northview HS
Charter Oak 11, Diamond Bar 9, 8 innings-- Charter Oak scored three runs in the seventh inning to tie it, then Danny Tiffany hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to give the Chargers an 11-7 lead, and they held on to win it.
At Covina High
Bonita 9, Covina 1

Other scores
Sonora 11, Walnut 5
Santa Fe Springs 8, Montebello 3
South Pasadena 7, Del Oro 5
Glendora 8, San Dimas 7, 10 innings in Arcadia tournament.

Northview tournament finals on Tuesday
Bonita vs. Charter Oak, 7 p.m., Maverick Field in West Covina
Diamond Bar at Covina, 4 p.m, (3rd place)
Sonora vs. Santa Fe Springs at Northview, 1 p.m. (5th place)
Walnut vs. Montebello at Northview, 10 a.m. (7th place)
La Serna vs. South Pasadena at Covina, 1 p.m. (9th place)
Del Oro vs. Pasadena at Covina, 10 a.m. (11th place).

Also, Round Robin play in the Arcadia tournament on Tuesday
Tuesday: Beverly Hills vs. La Habra, 10 a.m.; Nogales vs. Glendora, 1 p.m.; San Dimas vs. St. Francis, 4 p.m.; Arcadia vs. West Covina, 7 p.m.

You don't have to thank me or send a percentage of your winnings, but after North Carolina wins tonight, remember it was your favorite sports writer that told you to take the Tar Heels to win it all.

Could there be a 16-game football season? Yes, and sooner than you think. Read what the Orange County Register's Steve Fryer has to say.

Boys game: Another year, another Star-News Victory.
Boys photo gallery by Keith Birmingham
Pasadena High School's Joseph Henson and Darius Johnson had 14 and 13 points, respectively, and the Star-News boys team won for the fifth time in six years, 101-85, at the annual Tribune/Star-News High School All-Star Basketball Classic at Azusa Pacific University Felix Event Center on Saturday night. "This means a lot," said Henson, who was selected Star-News MVP after scoring 11 of his team-high 14 points during the first half. "It was neat that we all came together as a team and got it done." The Star-News also received 12 points from Blair's Deon Geary, 11 from Pasadena's Travis Flye and 10 from Blair's Katorio Walker. The Tribune, which has lost the previous two encounters, got 17 points and 15 points, respectively, from the Diamond Ranch duo of center Chris Cunningham and guard Garrett Johnson. Cunningham earned team MVP honors. South El Monte's Manny Acosta scored 10 points for the Tribune. "I just tried to come out here and have fun," Cunningham said. "This was about playing basketball with my friends, all my boys who I grew up with. It was fun to come out here and play again." Flye won the slam-dunk competition, with Glendora's Kos Russell taking the 3-point contest.

Girls Game: Star-News takes control
Girls photo gallery by Keith Birmingham
Living up to pre-game hype is always tough but once again the Tribune/Pasadena Star-News All Star Classic managed to do just that. The Star-News girls basketball team avenged a 20-point loss from last year with a 78-68 win over the Tribune squad. That improves the Star-News record to 4-2 against the girls from the East Valley. "I hope the girls enjoyed the experience as much as I did," Tribune coach Keith Locklear (Sierra Vista) said. "That Star-News team was pretty loaded. They were long and got a lot of tips and steals." Led by Brittany Henderson (Muir) Janise Ho (Keppel) Jasmine Gordon (Monrovia) and Maryum Jenkins (Monrovia) the Star-News girls dominated the boards at both ends of the court. "This is a very good group of kids from all the schools," Star-News coach Gary Johnson (Muir) said. "We definitely wanted to get the ball inside to our low post." Johnson was on the losing end of this game a few years ago so he had a simple game plan. "This was my first win," Johnson said. "I needed some revenge so we were pleased. We just wanted to keep the pressure on, get the ball inside and keep rolling and have some fun." The Star-News led most of the first half until the Tribune team, led by Jacqueline Salas (Amat) and Katie Moreno (Amat), tied the score at 27 when Sandy Perez (Azusa) hit a layup with 4:30 left in the half. "We had a couple of kids play really hard," Locklear said. "Sandy Perez is a defensive specialist and she just leaves it all on the court and that's a true blessing."
The Star-News turned it over to their bigs and ran off the final 15 points of the half. Jenkins hit a 3-pointer. Nicol Biesek (South Pasadena) scored twice and Henderson put back an offensive rebound at the buzzer to cap the run.

The best evidence yet that standout running back Jordan Canada has transferred from Duarte to South Hills was found on Scout.Com, which actually profiles Canada as a South Hills player for the 2009 season. I heard this move was taking place last week, but couldn't find anyone willing to confirm it. If he becomes eligible, this makes South Hills an absolute contender for the Southeast title along with Charter Oak. Now can the Huskies talk Jacob Shirley into playing quarterback his senior year. Stay tuned, I'll track this down on Monday. Canada rushed for 1,956 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 195 yards a game after missing three games because of injuries as a junior.

BREAKING NEWS: Fox's The Best Damn Sports Show period called to say they will be at Saturday's game, so look for a highlight or two on the show.

Boys and Girls Basketball All-Star Game
Sixth Annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
Tonight, Azusa Pacific University
Girl's game: 5:30pm
Boy's game: 7:30pm
SERIES RECORD
Boys: Star-News leads series, 4-1
Girls: Tribune leads series, 3-2

By Fred J. Robledo
In the short history of the Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic, the memorable moments are piling up. Marshall High School's Rawlston Charles still holds the scoring record with 38 points in the inaugural victory for the Star-News team in 2004. There was also La Ca ada's Philip Anderson hitting the game-winning shot at the buzzer to lead the Star-News to victory in 2005, and who could forget Keion Bell's jaw-dropping dunks in last year's dunk contest? The Tribune boys' lone victory came in the 2006 game at Bishop Amat, the only time the game was not held at Azusa Pacific, with Diamond Bar's Edwin Edukere winning MVP honors. The girls all-star games have been just as compelling, with the Star-News holding a 3-2 edge in the series.Pasadena's Brittany Spears poured in 31 points to lead the Star-News in 2007, but Bishop Amat's Kristen McCarthy led the Tribune to a 20-point victory last season with a game-high 18 points to earn MVP honors? Who's got next? We will find out tonight.
To continue reading, click thread

Monday's semifinals
At Northview HS
Charter Oak vs. Diamond Bar, 4 p.m.
At Covina High
Covina vs. Bonita, 4 p.m.

NORTHVIEW TOURNAMENT
Pool A: Diamond Bar, Sonora, South Pasadena
Pool B: Charter Oak, Del Oro, Walnut
Pool C: Covina, La Serna, Montebello
Pool D: Bonita, Pasadena, Santa Fe Springs.

Saturday's games
Pool A
Diamond Bar 9, Sonora 2
Sonora 16, South Pasadena 6
Diamond Bar 12, South Pasadena 4
Pool B
Charter Oak 12, Walnut 5
Walnut, 7, Del Oro 3
Charter Oak 6, Del Oro 1
Pool C
Covina 8, La Serna 5
Montebello 3, La Serna 2
Covina 9, Montebello 2
Pool D
Bonita 17, Santa Fe Springs 4
Santa Fe Springs 11, Pasadena 3
Bonita 11, Pasadena 1

Monday, April 6
At Northview HS
Pool A #3 vs. Pool B #3, 10 a.m.
Pool A #2 vs. Pool B #2, 1 p.m.
Charter Oak vs. Diamond Bar, semifinal, 4 p.m.
At Covina High
Pool C #3 vs. Pool D #3, 10 a.m.
Pool C #2 vs. Pool D #2, 1 p.m.
Covina vs. Bonita, semifinal, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7, Championship Day
Championship at Maverick Field, West Covina, 7 p.m.
Other Games at Northview
Fifth place game, 10 a.m.
Third place game, 1 p.m.

Anything and anyone you want to talk about

After careful consideration I have delayed peaking too far ahead and putting together a pre-season top ten football poll, and discussing the top players returning at each position, etc, etc. We can do that when spring football begins, plus I need to save some of that good conversation for the dog days of summer. But I'm curious to know what you think the top ten might look like next fall. Without a doubt Charter Oak starts No. 1 in my opinion, but the rest is debatable. Where will Damien fall under first year coach Greg Gano, and how will all the teams that made other coaching changes do? What will San Dimas, Northview, Diamond Ranch, Bonita, Bishop Amat and Rosemead look like after graduating so many studs. And how far will West Covina, Glendora, Rowland and Walnut rise with so many studs back. Anyways, this is your chance to give us a sneak preview. What does your top ten look like?

Above: South Hills Derek Klena delivered a win for South Hills on Friday.

Klena keeps South Hills in first: Derek Klena scattered five hits and struck out eight as South Hills took control of the San Antonio League race with a 3-0 victory at rival West Covina on Friday. The Huskies, also getting RBI singles by Dakota Behr and Tommy Rodriguez and two hits from Cody Doyle, improved to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in league play. They remained one game ahead of second-place Nogales. West Covina, getting a six-hit, five-strikeout performance from Daniel Clark, slipped to 6-6 and 1-3.
Wilson beats Bonita: Steven Baltierra tossed a three-hitter and Kevin Niebla hit a home run as the Wildcats stunned the No. 1 Bearcats, 4-3, at home. Nico Calderaro struck out eight for Bonita, which falls to 8-2 and 3-1. Also the battle for third-place appears to be Wilson vs. Los Altos as the Conquerors routed Diamond Ranch, 11-1. I don't think the Panthers are going back to the divisional finals. In fact, just making the playoffs may now be a stretch.

Other Scores
Miramonte League
Los Altos 11, Diamond Ranch 1
Wilson 4, Bonita 3
Mission Valley League
South El Monte 9, Gabrielino 4
Softball Scores
San Antonio League
South Hills 12, West Covina 7
Valle Vista League
San Dimas 12, Baldwin Park 1

Baseball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

Today's big game: Is anyone going to touch Walnut. The Mustangs (6-3, 3-0) are undefeated in the San Antonio league and will host Rowland (5-8, 1-2) in hopes of staying that way. Just to let you know how good thing are going Nut Town, Bonita barely edged out Walnut 3-2 last week.

Covina is also in action at Pomona today.

Today's schedule
San Antonio League
Walnut at Rowland, 3:30 p.m.
South Hills at West Covina, 3:30 p.m.
Valle Vista League
San Dimas at Baldwin Park, 3:15 p.m.
Ganesha at Northview, 3:15 p.m.
Covina at Pomona, 3:15 p.m.
Nonleague
Sierra Vista at Schurr, 3:15 p.m.
Duarte at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.
Nogales at Diamond Ranch, 3:15 p.m.

Softball Standings and Schedules
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League

BREAKING NEWS: Fox's The Best Damn Sports Show period called to say they will be at Saturday's game, so look for a highlight or two on the show.

Boys and Girls Basketball All-Star Game
Sixth Annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
Saturday, April 4, Azusa Pacific University
Girl's game: 5:30pm
Boy's game: 7:30pm
SERIES RECORD
Boys: Star-News leads series, 4-1
Girls: Tribune leads series, 3-2

Star-News notes on Saturday's all-star game

Below: Nogales standout Randal Guillory, the brother of Nobles legend, Shomario Richard.

By Fred J. Robledo
Former Nogales High School boys basketball coach Bob Withers recalled a meeting several years ago when then-Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian made a recruiting visit in hopes of snagging Nobles standout Shomario Richard, arguably the best player in the school's history. Richard averaged 26 points and nine assists his senior season, leading the Nobles to the 1995 Division I-A championship game against Mater Dei.
The Nobles were overwhelmed by the Schea Cotton-led Monarchs, losing 83-33 in the championship, but Richard already had left his mark, finishing his career with 781 assists, which ranks ninth all-time in the CIF record books. "When Shomario was getting a home visit from Jerry, I rushed over to the house in a cub scout uniform because I was my son Ricky's cub scout leader," said Withers, now the assistant principal at Rowland High School. "I sat there in a blue shirt and yellow tie and helped change this little kid's diapers while Jerry talked to Shomario." That little kid was current Nogales standout Randal Guillory, Shomario Richard's brother, who will compete for the Tribune team in Saturday's Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic at Azusa Pacific University.
To continue reading, click thread

I don't know if it's the power of the blogs, but Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar called to say that L.A. City Section's University High School contacted him this afternoon and the two have agreed to meet at University on Friday, Sept. 11 for an afternoon affair in Los Angeles. University was 1-9 this past season, but is hoping to turn things around under a new coach. Just a year earlier University advanced to the City Section III-A championship at the Coliseum, losing to Garfield 28-23 in the 2007 final. "I have to get clearance from our administrators but it should be a done deal," Chargers coach Lou Farrar said. "They had a tough season because they graduated so many seniors, but they have a new coach and a lot of players back. I'm just glad we have an opponent and we can concentrate on football now."

Will somebody pick up the phone and call Charter Oak?

I have never heard Chargers football coach Lou Farrar sound so frustrated and desperate to find an opponent to fill out their ten-game schedule. As of now, the defending CIF-Champion Chargers still have no opponent for week one, which is the weekend of Sept. 11-12. We all know this should have been Bishop Amat, but after the Lancers said "No" to their invitation, the Chargers are left with no opponent after searching the western part of the United States to find anyone. To be fair, Amat inquired about the game long ago, but from what I hear the Charter Oak administration didn't want it more than the coaches at the time, leaving us with this from coach.

"It's bothering me," Farrar said. "I've lost sleep over it. I've had nightmares over it. We have checked in Oakland, Colorado, the City Section, Fresno and can't find anyone. At this point we're willing to face anyone at any place, Friday or Saturday that weekend. Get the word out, if anyone has an open spot and wants to host the game or travel here, give us a call."

Bellflower, Banning, San Diego Escondido and just a few schools listed on the CIF website looking for week one games. Seriously, doesn't anyone want a piece of the defending champions? If the Chargers can't find an opponent, they will be forced to play a nine game schedule. This is so sad, we went from a mammoth Bishop Amat-Charter Oak dream game to this ....

Boys and Girls Basketball All-Star Game
Sixth Annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
Saturday, April 4, Azusa Pacific University
Girl's game: 5:30pm
Boy's game: 7:30pm
SERIES RECORD
Boys: Star-News leads series, 4-1
Girls: Tribune leads series, 3-2

Click here to check out the photo gallery from Tuesday's practice.

How are things going with the Star-News boys team? Read all about it, they sound confident.

By Fred J. Robledo
Listed generously at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, nobody looked more at home during Tuesday's all-star practice at Nogales High School than Rowland's Brandon Stansell, who will compete for the Tribune boys team in Saturday's sixth annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic at Azusa Pacific University. Nogales coach Ricky Roper jokingly kept calling Stansell Gary Coleman, best remembered as Arnold Jackson on the 1970s television show "Diff'rent Strokes." Other members of the team already have nicknamed Stansell Chris Paul because he looks so much like the New Orleans Hornets point guard. "It's all fun, and not the first time I've been called Chris Paul," said Stansell, who averaged 10 points for the Raiders and had a memorable 26-point effort in a shootout against South Hills. "Ever since my freshman year I have dreamed about playing in this game, and now that it's actually here, I'm taking it all in and having a good time."
To continue reading click thread

San Dimas just keeps on rolling: San Dimas High School left little doubt who is the top team in the Valle Vista League at the moment, scoring an 11-1 victory over Baldwin Park in a league encounter that was called in the fifth inning due to the 10-run rule.
Matt Thrall had two hits and two RBIs, Thomas Jenson had two hits and an RBI and Kevin Ponzo was steady on the hill, giving up six hits and striking out eight to lead the Saints. San Dimas, which beat Northview last week, improved to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in league play. Baldwin Park slipped to 6-3 and 3-2.
San Dimas coach Mike Regan: "When our lower half of the order gets involved like it did today, it gets pretty good because our top four guys have been hitting the ball well. Our guys have been playing pretty well. I'm really pleased."
Baldwin Park coach Jake Barendregt: "It's frustrating. You'll play good against certain teams and when you face those teams that you are at the same level with, or just a little bit above you, you kind of aren't ready for that yet. These kids are close, but haven't been in this position to compete for first place for a few years now. But I think they will be a little more successful in these games, or at least a little competitive and not a blowout."

Other Scores
Del Rey League
Bishop Amat 2, La Salle 1
Sierra League
Chino HIlls 5, Diamond Bar 0

Game Update: Glendora outfielder Brandi Andrews hit a mammoth two-run homer in the sixth inning, and pitcher Dana Waldusky did the rest, allowing just three hits as the Tartans held on for a 3-1 victory to improve to 6-2.

Bishop Amat catcher Jackie Carlin with the tag-out at home.

Today: With some schools on winter break and others in tournaments, this figures to be a fun non-league game today between two of the area's best teams. Common sense says to go with Glendora, but people keep telling me the Lancers, though young, are the most complete from top to bottom. Can't wait to watch and find out for myself.

Today's games
Non-league
Glendora at Bishop Amat, 3:15 p.m.
Miramonte League
Charter Oak at Bonita, 3:30 p.m.
Montview League
Bassett at Sierra Vista, 3:15 p.m.
Azusa at Duarte, 3:15 p.m.
Gladstone at Workman, 3:15 p.m.

Northview is not in the Northview tournament, but Bonita, Diamond Bar, Charter Oak, Walnut, Covina and surging Pasadena will be there. The Vikings will be in the National Classic the following weekend. For the Northview tourney schedule, click thread

This is so good, I'm posting Don's latest line
Diamond Bar: 8/5 because they say they're great
Bonita: 3/2 because everyone else says they're great
Sonora: 5/2 because they've played a tougher schedule than anyone else
Del Oro: 7/1 because nobody knows nothing about Loomis
Charter Oak: 9/1 because counting out the Chargers is just crazy talk
La Serna: 10/1 because they are first place in the Del Rio
Walnut: 15/1 because they're bipolar
South Pasadena: 20/1 because half of their runs came against Blair
Pasadena: 25/1 because they beat Crescenta Valley and Western Christian by the same score
Montebello: 25/1 because they are from the Almont League
Santa Fe: 33/1 because they are next to last in the Del Rio
Covina: 50/1 because they don't have any Pills left

Today's featured game: West Covina (6-4, 1-1) at Nogales (10-3, 2-2) is huge for the Nobles if they hope to keep pace with league-leading South Hills. If West Covina wins, they will keep pace with South Hills, which would make Friday's West Covina-South Hills game huge. It already was big considering the Shirley situation, but this would make it even more special.

Bishop Amat Lefty Paul Paez improved to 3-1 with Tuesday's 1-0 win over St. Paul

Tuesday's Del Rey result: Why does everyone question my Bishop Amat ranking? They showed why they deserve to be No. 2 behind Bonita with a huge 1-0 victory over a very good St. Paul. Pitcher Paul Paez was magnificent, giving up four hits in five innings of work before turning it over to Brandon McNitt to close it out. It was Bishop Amat's fifth consecutive win to improve to 7-3 and 2-0.

Great quote from Lancers coach Andy Nieto: "You remember what Crash Davis said in `Bull Durham,' Don't mess with a streak. We just wanted to let (the kids) know there is over 50 years of athletic excellence behind that name across their chest. It requires a certain degree of an obligation to wear the uniform. I'm sure Santa Claus will give them (varsity jerseys) back to them one of these days."

Did you know: That Bassett's 6-3 win over Workman on Tuesday was the Olympians' first Montview League victory since 2003.

Today's games
Nonleague
Bonita at Walnut, 3:15 p.m.
Miramonte League
Los Altos at Charter Oak, 3:15 p.m.
Diamond Ranch at Wilson
Mission Valley League
South El Monte at Arroyo, 3:15 p.m.
El Monte at Rosemead, 3:15 p.m.
Mountain View at Gabrielino, 3:15 p.m.
San Antonio League
Rowland at South Hills, 3:15 p.m.
West Covina at Nogales, 3:15 p.m.

Covina wins!: It was the type of game that could do wonders for a youthful team. Covina High School softball coach Joe Brown hopes so. Molly Ross hit a home run and scored two runs and Jennifer Vargas drew a bases-loaded walk to score Anabel De Casas in the seventh inning as the host Colts rallied to score a 6-5 victory over rival Northview in a Valle Vista League game on Wednesday. Covina, getting two hits each from Ross, Candice Orozco and Chelsea Whisenant, improved to 6-4 overall and 4-1 in league play. The Vikings, who received three hits and an RBI from Heather Harrison and a home run from Aundria Solis, slipped to 5-5 and 2-2.

Beat L.A., Beat L.A.: Bonita High School became a major bump in the road for Los Altos in the Conquerors' quest for a fourth consecutive Miramonte League softball championship. The Bearcats went extra innings before scoring an unearned run in the top of the ninth for a 1-0 victory Wednesday afternoon. The win moved the Bearcats (13-2, 3-1) into a first-place tie with the Conquerors (9-4, 3-1) It also avenges an earlier 6-4 loss to the Conquerors. "To come into their camp and take the best team in our division, you can't take that away from our team," Bearcats first-year coach Ken Carlson said. "We're not done, they're not done. I guess we've just set the stage for an exciting third game back at our place."

Did you know: That of all the stats reported to MaxPreps, San Dimas' Yumiko Hiroto, a 5-foot-5 senior catcher, is the area's leading hitter. Hiroto has 18 hits in 29 at-bats for a whopping .621 average. She has eight RBI's, two doubles, a triple and home run.

At last night's league proposal meeting, the "New" Miramonte League for 2010 was voted on and it's final. Get ready folks, football will never be the same. The Miramonte League will consist of Charter Oak, South Hills, Bonita, Glendora, Damien and Diamond Ranch. Also Charter Oak and Bishop Amat have ripped up old contracts and agreed to meet THIS FALL in week one at the Covina District Field. I'm hearing that Fox Sports is interested in covering it.

Boys and Girls Basketball All-Star Game
Sixth Annual Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic
Saturday, April 4, Azusa Pacific University
Girl's game: 5:30pm
Boy's game: 7:30pm
SERIES RECORD
Boys: Star-News leads series, 4-1
Girls: Tribune leads series, 3-2

Girls all-star practice
By Fred J. Robledo
Anyone who has spent time with Sierra Vista High School girls basketball coach Keith Locklear knows about his intensity, attention to detail, and the tremendous amount of pride he has in his program. Sierra Vista isn't exactly a hotbed of hoops talent, but Locklear does an amazing job with the talent he has, which resulted in a 21-4 overall record and perfect 12-0 campaign in winning the Montview League title. The Dons' stellar play earned Locklear Tribune coach of the year honors and the opportunity to coach in Saturday's Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic at Azusa Pacific University. To continue reading and find rosters for all the teams, click thread

Above: Sierra Vista's Janice Jimenez will compete for the Tribune in Saturday's game.

GIRLS SOCCER ALL-AREA
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lynsey Browne, St. Lucy's, Defender, Senior
School: St. Lucy's
Grade: Senior
Position: Defender
Notable: The Sierra League player of the year had an outstanding season in leading the Regents to the Sierra League title and a 15-4-4 overall mark, and 9-1 in league. With so many dangerous forwards to deal with, Browne was the big force on defense, helping the Regents record 12 shutouts, and five straight blank sheets during an impressive run through league against Chino Hills, Chino, Ayala, Diamond Bar and Glendora. Even more impressive was her versatility. Browne was able to get forward on counter attacks and was dangerous on set-pieces with her 5-foot-8 frame, especially on crosses, which helped her net seven goals and six assists. Also a CIF-Southern Section Division II honoree, Browne will continue her career at UC Riverside next fall.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Reeder, Los Altos
FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Natalie Maxey, South Hills, Junior
Aissa Sanchez, Glendora, Senior
Arielle Shore, San Dimas, Senior
Midfielders
Victoria Camaj, St. Lucy's, Freshman
Dana Catone, Walnut, Senior
Lauren Stupin, Los Altos, Sophomore
Krissy Slusser, Walnut, Senior
Emily Wood, Glendora, Senior
Defenders
Jasmine Roth, Bishop Amat, Defender, Junior
Giselle Sigala, Diamond Ranch, Defender, Senior
Goalkeeper
Justine Padilla, Los Altos, Goalkeeper, Junior

SECOND TEAM
Forward
Lissa Pina, Bonita, Junior
Kristen Enriquez, St. Lucy's, Senior
McKenna Gooden, Charter Oak, Junior
Midfielders
April Juarez, Bishop Amat, Freshman
Estella Diaz, Sierra Vista, Junior
Jeannette Jimenez, San Dimas, Freshman
Denni Jo Burger, St. Lucy's, Senior
Defenders
Amber Ortiz, Diamond Bar, Junior
Marissa Woods, Walnut, Senior
Lauren Velasquez, Los Altos, Junior
Goalkeeper
Jesse Garcia, Baldwin Park, So, Goalkeeper